The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic
by Nature9000
Summary: After graduating college, Trina struggles to find a job that will allow her to move out on her own and start a life for herself, held back by her own fears of inadequacy and lack of confidence. When she begins a job for the first time, she discovers something about herself and those around her. Can she make it on her own, or will she be doomed for failure?
1. Start of Something New

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This was inspired by some people at my new job, among other things, so here it is. Mainly, I want to apologize to a lot of my main readers, since moving in with my aunt and uncle and starting a new job, I've not had a lot of time to write-so bear with me please because I _will_ get through my stories. Thank you and keep reading, and enjoy this as I believe you certainly will.

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Chapter 1 (Start of Something New)

"Why am I still here?" Trina mumbled as she looked up from her laptop. All around her was the empty house she grew up in. Her father was home, but that mattered little since he was away in his study as always.

A scowl drifted across her face as her eyes moved back towards the laptop. "Because I'm not good enough to live by myself." She wasn't smart enough, her senses were so terrible she could hardly detect smells or hear people as well as she could when she was younger. Everything about her was less than perfect, and people made sure she knew it.

She'd been putting job applications in everywhere she could, having just graduated college with her degree in Criminal Justice. The problem was she wasn't hearing back from anywhere, and her father didn't care enough to get her a job with the police force.

 _"Find your own way"_ , David would say. Still, even now she wanted a job that would bring in some sort of income, though she didn't know what there was she'd be good enough to do, or if there was any employer that would accept her.

Her goal was a simple one: Earn money enough to live find her own apartment while searching for a job in Criminal Justice. She hardly believed she could make it, so part of her questioned if there was any point in looking.

"Sure you are," Answered a voice from the computer. It was Cat, the one person that befriended her in recent years-despite the tumultuous years of knowing her and all Tori's friends.

Cat swayed back and flung her hair over her shoulder, speaking melodramatically. "I don't know where you get this lack of confidence." Trina's brow wrinkled and the corner of her lip twisted into a smirk.

"Where were you every time Jade said nobody gave a shit about me, and how many years have you seen how little my parents show any concern whatsoever for me?" Cat looked off to the right, twirling her finger absently in her hair while tucking the corner of her lip under her teeth. "I _know_ you still remember Yerba."

"That was years ago Trina, things are somewhat different now…"

"No they aren't-they're worse." Trina poked a finger at the screen and raised an eyebrow. "Mom ran off and hasn't even talked to us since Tori graduated. Dad is even more reclusive and doesn't even want to be in the same room as me half the time-and don't even get me started on Tori. Jade was and is a terrible influence on her…"

She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. Tori was beginning to treat people like dirt much like Jade had always done. Trina felt it had more to do with the girl seeing that she could treat her own family like shit and get away with it, therefore she could do the same to everyone else.

Cat bemoaned Trina's words and shut her eyes tight, groaning under her breath as though she'd been struck in the gut. "Tori's just going through a phase or something, right?" The redhead opened her eyes and shrugged. "She'll come back around, right?"

Trina shot a skeptical look at the girl and shook her head slowly. "She sings in dismal bars, _barely_ makes enough money to earn a living, relies on Jade to pay all bills for her, and still thinks she's better than anyone else." She crossed her arms and leaned back into the sofa. "That wasn't the Tori I knew before she met Jade. That was a slow transformation from a sweet little sister to a monster."

Cat hummed a bit and cocked her head to the right. "I know you and Tori haven't gotten along the last few years, but don't you think you're being a tad harsh?" She had to process the question for a moment, though the shock and absurdity of it derailed her.

"You were there for the big fight with Beck, her and Jade." She squinted and wiggled her nose at the cringing redhead. "'Harsh' seems light, don't you think? All those years of Jade's paranoia and insanity, and not _once_ did Beck ever legitimately cheat on her. All those years-"

Cat raised her hand and Trina fell quiet. "I know, I know." The girl rubbed her temples, groaning softly. "Maybe…" Cat dropped her hand with a sigh and shook her head. "Maybe you're right, maybe some of Jade's manipulation and craftiness rubbed off on Tori."

Tori and Jade were roommates now, and Beck was out of the picture. "Tori decided against college, Cat." She heard a noise and looked over her shoulder at the door to David's study. Nothing was different, so she shrugged it off and turned back to Cat. "She tells me she thinks Jade's right, that even though I have a college degree, I'll never amount to anything. I'll always be dependent on Dad, and I'll never make it…"

Tori's own words were she thought Trina might spend the rest of her life living off David's money until the day he died, then if she didn't marry someone rich, she'd end up homeless or in a women's shelter.

Trina sniffled and ran her thumb across her eyes. "Maybe they're right," Trina gasped. Cat's lips parted and she shook her head. "I mean, all these applications and I can't land a job-I can't even get an interview!"

"Just keep trying."

"I'm close to giving up, Cat. You don't even know." She took a deep breath to steel her nerves, but it shook out upon release. Anger laced her words and tears stared to slide from her eyes. "Tori sings in bars, relying on Jade to pay the bills while Jade goes to college, and she has the _nerve_ to tell me I'll spend the rest of my life dependent on a father that doesn't even want me around?"

"Trina."

"Fuck, what am I doing with my life Cat? Maybe they're right. I can't hear very well, I can't smell as well as I used to, and my resume is practically blank so I have no skills and just about any hick off the street could perform a job better than I can."

"Have more faith in yourself."

"How? Cat? How?"

"I don't know." Cat threw her hands up with an exasperated sigh and shrugged. "I know it's been rough, and I'm trying to be that supportive friend, but some things I can't figure out for you. I don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said…I'm sorry."

She took a few more breaths, mentally acknowledging her behavior was getting overwhelming for Cat. They'd only been friends for a few years-since the big fight that split Tori's friends apart after graduation-so Cat was still overwhelmed by learning so much of Trina's life in so little time.

"No I'm sorry." She spoke softly and closed her eyes. "It's hard. I'm feeling sorry for myself and I shouldn't. I'm not trying to take it out on you or put it all on your shoulders, I just-"

"It's okay." Cat smiled softly and the moisture in her eyes glistened beneath the light. "I know it's difficult. Going your whole life feeling like your family doesn't want you…" She put her hands to her chest and shrugged. "Look at me. I went through the same thing when my parents took off with my brothers a few years back. So I get that, I do."

Cat lowered her hands and turned her eyes to the right. She sniffled and dropped her shoulders. "I mean, maybe I was a part of the problem back in high school when Jade and the others treated you like trash, and I'm sorry." Trina pressed her lips together and watched as Cat's eyes drifted back into hers. "I'm sorry that I saw them taking advantage of the fact that Tori and your parents could step on you like they did, and I did nothing to stop that."

She ran her hand along her arm and shut her eyes, taking in Cat's words as they calmed her spirit. "I'm sorry I was a part of the blows to your self-esteem, your confidence, but that's the past. It can and will get better for you, you just have to see."

There was a prolonged moment of silence before she felt like speaking up again. When she did, her voice was quiet and trembling. Tears dripped from her chin and she wiped her eyes. "You know something Cat?"

"What?"

"My dad…when I was younger. He was abusive, but only to me. Mom didn't care, she never cared." Cat's eyebrows moved together and her lips twisted. "That's why Tori felt like she could get away with it-because that's all she's ever known." Trina wiped her cheeks and took a deep breath. "All she's ever known is 'it's okay to beat your sister, it's okay to tell her no one loves her because no one does.'. It's not her fault."

"It's not excusable."

"It isn't her fault."

"It's still not excusable, Trina."

"My own grandparents never wanted anything to do with me." Trina wiped her eyes with her shirt sleeve and cleared away her throat. "G-Grandma told me once…there was something wrong about my being born. That it wasn't right and she hated me because of it."

Cat shook her head and Trina could hear her clicking her tongue off her cheek. "Oh Trina. You had no control over how you were conceived. You have no control over how your parents or your sister treated you growing up." She put her hand over her chest and gasped out. "You have _every bit_ of control over your future and where your life goes."

"You don't understand. I'm not worth anything to anyone." Trina looked to her phone on the end table and a wrinkle popped up on her forehead as her hands trembled over the computer keys. "How could I even hope to get a job when I'm so utterly incompetent?"

"I'm sure something will pop up."

"All that's been popping up have been HR emails saying they've gone another direction with candidates…"

"Don't give up Trina, you're going to find something. You just need to have patience."

"Even if I did get something, once someone better comes along-"

"No!" Cat pointed at the screen, causing Trina to flinch and jerk back. "Don't you talk like that. You don't even know how you'd perform on a job. Don't you dare sell yourself short before you're even given a chance to show what you've got."

"What I've got is a bunch of rejections." Just then her cell phone lit up in the corner of her eyes. She grabbed the phone and raised her eyebrows when she saw a text message from a number she didn't recognize. "Hold on. I just got a text…"

"Alright."

She checked the message and her eyes started to enlarge.

 _From Subway Restaurants, we want you to come in for an interview tomorrow at eleven AM. Please text back yes or no to confirm._

"What is it?" Cat's eyebrows rose as Trina continued to stare at the phone, too shocked to move. "Well?"

"I-I got a text for an interview." She didn't know companies sent text messages, so this was a first. She wasn't sure she'd be hired, but it felt like a start. Cat cheered for her, drawing her attention back to the computer. "At Subway though."

"It's something, Trina. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"But it's-"

"Give it a shot. Maybe it will turn out well."

Trina smiled back at her and nodded gently. "Yeah." She glanced back at the phone and started to type 'yes' in the response. "It might."

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So the tone of the first chapter kind of sets up a little of the background, but not the overall theme of the story. The idea follows Trina as she begins work and tries to make something of herself despite her own feelings of inadequacy. That holds her back from her goal obviously. Some things that happen will give her confidence, plus some coworkers here are based off coworkers I've actually had-some of those have ended up being enough that I wanted to write a story about them. Here, enjoy


	2. The Interview

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 2 (The Interview)

Trina could feel her body shivering as she stood before the Subway on Ridge Street. It was where she was told to report to, but she didn't know how the process was going to go.

Ridge Street was fairly far from home, and she didn't quite feel good driving all the way out on a regular basis, but a job was a job and she wanted the money. Trina swallowed her concern and pushed through the door.

"Hi, welcome to Subway!" Someone chimed. Her eyes darted over to a girl behind the front counter and she smiled politely. "Can I get you anything?"

"Um…" She hooked her finger over her lip and looked towards the food behind the sneeze guard windows. _Subway_ had been a favorite of hers since she was a little girl, so she did enjoy the opportunity to work for them. "I've always loved the _Italian BMT_ , but I'm going to have to hold off. I'm here about the interview."

Just then a woman of her height stepped out into the line from the back. She had dark glasses resting on chalky skin, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a wide smile. The woman's eyes lit up and she held a packet of paper in her hands. "Hi, I'm Mandy." She handed the paper over the display windows and Trina carefully took them into her hands.

Mandy pointed to a few tables in the back, near the restrooms. "Go ahead and sit down back there and we'll begin shortly." Trina nodded, thanking the woman before heading to the back papers to read and fill out whatever she could.

It wasn't long before people started coming in that Trina's heart sank. She recognized group interviews and despised them because it always meant someone else might stand a chance of getting a job.

She identified high school students, secretly contemplating her own circumstances as being better. After all, she was free all day while they could only work certain hours.

Subway, while a childhood favorite of hers, was undoubtedly a minimum wage job, but she knew getting out on her own and becoming independent had to start somewhere; and at least it was better than 'flipping burgers at mcdonalds' as her father always told her she would wind up doing.

At least six others were seated at the table when Mandy walked around the corner. Her cheekbones were high and her smile produced two dimples just beneath her glasses. "Okay so let's get this underway," Mandy said with a chipper tone. "I want to walk you through the handout page by page, and I will explain everything to you…"

Trina had filled much out and was learning the sandwich guide in the back. Certain sandwiches like the _Spicy Italian_ -another of her favorites-were made with ten pepperoni and ten salami. The _Turkey Italiano_ was the same as the _Italian BMT_ , only with turkey instead of ham.

There were some strict rules, such as closers of a store were given a key that, if lost, the employee would have 75 dollars deducted from their paycheck. Uniforms were also twenty dollars, in cash.

After going through the papers, Mandy said she would begin individual interviews based on what number was on the top of the paper. For Trina, she was number 3. With a sigh, she sat back and watched the first person walk to a table at the front door.

Her stomach twisted with nerves and she could almost feel sweat trickling down the bridge of her nose. After some time a man walked into the restaurant for an interview. Trina checked her watch, noting it was almost twenty minutes after the hour.

Mandy looked up at him with a serious look, then shook her head. "We've already begun, but you can come back next week." Trina held her breath and tucked her fingers over the belt around her waist.

She felt a buzzing in her pocket and quickly grabbed the phone stuffed away. To her surprise, she saw a text from Cat. Her heart rose and she checked it with a smile, happy to hear from someone positive.

 _"Good luck on your interview."_ She nodded and texted back a thank you, then Cat's response chilled her. _"Heads up. Tori and Jade just texted me they're going to grab lunch at Subway. They're thinking of being there for support…"_

There were hardly any customers in at the time and Mandy didn't appear like she wanted to be distracted. She was already short with the guy that came in late, so it didn't seem she'd allow for distraction should Tori and Jade show up and start talking.

She was more afraid of their presence causing Mandy to not take her seriously.

"Number three!" Mandy called out. Trina smiled openly and rose from the table, grabbing the papers she had. Much of the handout had pages needing to be signed and given back to Mandy, but with a few pages for the applicant record.

Trina approached calmly, extending a handshake to the woman. "Hi, have a seat." Mandy shook her hand and smiled. Trina's heart was beating a mile a minute as she watched the woman sift through the papers. "So tell me a little about yourself. I see you've gone to Hollywood Arts for a few years…"

"Yeah." She bit her lip and her eyes darted to the windows of the shop. She thought she saw a glimpse of her sister's car and her voice trembled for a split second. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Sorry, I don't mean to be nervous, it's just…I really want this opportunity." Mandy's smile remained a calm and warm beacon, soothing for her to see.

"I'm glad to see you're eager."

"I've loved Subway since I was a kid, so really it's a great opportunity. When I was young, mom would take me to Subway once a week." Her eyes lit up as she recalled the fond memories of her youth. "She took my sister to _Cici's Pizza_." Mandy's smile grew and she nodded with understanding.

"So would that explain your interest in working here? It isn't often we get Hollywood Arts alumni or students wanting to work for the food service industry." Trina swept her hand through her hair, chuckling once.

"Well, I've recently graduated college with a degree in criminal justice. Right now, I just really need a job to earn some income, and Subway seems like a perfect place to start. Hollywood Arts? Fame and stardom? That's more my sister's dream."

"Ah." Mandy raised her hand up. "That's not a standard high school, most of the students that go there are pretty adamant about what they want to do."

"My mom was an alumni, she basically pulled strings and made me go there." It was never her idea to go, nor did she care. Hell, she purposely threw her audition out the window with hope that officials would say no to letting her in.

Unfortunately Holly had more pull at that school than she realized, and nothing she did-no amount of dramatics could get the officials to throw her out.

Mandy glanced at the application and started to hum. "Now it says here you have slight hearing loss…" The woman pulled her eyebrows together and looked up with gentle concern. "Is that a problem?" Trina shook her head and raised her hands up.

"Hopefully not. My hearing's always been kind of low growing up, it deteriorated a bit in high school. I was always attending my sister's concerts, driving Tori around and listening to her practice in her bedroom. That's the only reason my hearing's not so great."

"I see." It wasn't so bad that she couldn't function, and it was mostly being unable to understand clearly various accents. Tori always had the car music turned up so loud so she could sing along and everyone could hear, and her bedroom was right next to Trina's, so her practicing was always loud and would keep her awake.

"So what times are you available, Trina?"

"Anytime, really. I don't have anything tying me-" Just then she caught a glimpse of someone walking by the window. The long haired brunette reached for the door and turned her head into view; it was Tori. Her muscles tightened and she saw Mandy turn in the corner of her eyes.

Jade walked up behind Tori, smirking as she followed the girl into the store. "Hey look who it is," Jade said aloud. "Just in time for the interview." She crossed her arms and Tori flashed a toothy smile.

Mandy's smile faded and her lips tightened together. Trina felt like bolting for the nearest corner and started to shrink in her seat as Tori neared her. "Sorry about that," Tori started, "We're just here to support my sister. Although…" Tori hooked a finger over her lower lip and bit down on her nail as she cast a worried glance on Mandy. "You should get more background, Trina's kind of lazy. She's willing to work, but…you know…"

"Excuse me?" Mandy looked shocked and appalled, turning her gaze from Tori and back to Trina. Trina slouched and bowed her head. She wanted to speak up, but was afraid to say anything. "Trina, dear this is a professional interview, your family should-"

"Sorry," Tori interrupted. Mandy shut her eyes and her lips pulled apart to reveal grinding teeth. Seeing the look caused Trina to flinch and fall back with a greater fear-she wasn't expecting such a look from a charming and sweet kind of person. "I'm not trying to interrupt." Tori put her hand to her chest and feigned a polite smile. "I just want any potential employer of my sister to know honestly who my sister is."

Mandy opened her eyes and started to turn her head, but before she could speak, Tori was talking again with a nonchalant tone.

"She's not very professional, so you should give her careful consideration." Tori smacked her lips and pointed down at the application form. "Now I don't know what character references she might have put down…You know, if you wanted to hire a dependable worker, I could certainly use a job."

Trina's eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but she could only manage to get air out. Mandy spoke up with a calm and eerily quiet voice. "If you wish to be considered for an application, you may submit one online and we will contact you for a potential interview in the future." Mandy straightened herself in her seat and moved her head back slowly. "If you would like to buy a sandwich, please speak with my employee at the register."

Trina furrowed her brow and scooted her chair back, causing Mandy's eyes to dart over to her. "Sorry," Trina said under her breath. Her eyes filled with moisture and her voice began to tremble as a semi satisfied glare fell from her sister's eyes. "I guess I should go."

"Trust me Trina," Jade said, "This is for your own good."

Tori flipped her hair back and locked her right hand around her waist. "Yeah, you wouldn't last working at Subway. You'd probably blow up the minute someone didn't do something _your_ _way_. You'd probably quit after a couple weeks, or be fired, either or."

Trina closed her hands tight and started to turn when Mandy raised her hand up. "Stop." Mandy opened her palm upwards and motioned at the chair. "Please take your seat back, Trina." Her heart fluttered and she returned to her chair as Tori and Jade glanced back at Mandy. " _As I was saying_ , it is unprofessional and unsettling for your family or friends to interrupt your job interview. It is unbecoming of them, if it is their fault."

Trina's eyebrows rose and she watched as the color started to drain from the girls' faces. Mandy turned a cold stare onto them and scowled. "Now, as I've said before, if you would like to order a sandwich, please do. We humbly appreciate your service. If you're only here to interrupt the job interview process, please leave my store."

Tori started to say something, but fell silent when Jade put her hand to her shoulder. Jade motioned to the girl at the counter and led Tori there.

Trina was relieved that the confrontation may be over, but was still afraid her interview had been ruined. "Okay." Mandy shuffled the papers and warmth filled her face once more. "Basically, Trina, we just need to run a background check." Trina folded her hands together on the table and nodded.

"Okay."

"The Green Oaks store is in need of daytime workers, so I will see if that location is a good fit." She nearly leapt from the table as a sense of hope shot through her. A grin spread across her face and she held back asking if she got the job. Mandy smirked, seemingly reading her thoughts. "Basically you're hired at this point. It's just a matter of assigning you to a location."

"Oh? I thought I was being interviewed for this location." Trina glanced up to see Jade with her back turned to them, paying the girl at the register. Tori was standing sideways behind Jade, looking back at Trina with doubt in her eyes. Trina shifted for a second, then looked back to Mandy. "I guess I didn't understand the process?"

Mandy pulled her ponytail back and cleared her throat. "Then allow me to explain." The woman put her hand to her chest. "I oversee various stores within this location, but this particular store is my home location. So it is the primary store, all business comes here-I receive applications, employee time stamps and so on."

"Okay."

"I conduct interviews here, and when I see an applicant I think may be a good candidate for Subway, I try to assign them to a store that their stated hours best fits. Right now, Green Oaks has a need for employees working the day shift-you've stated that you're able to work at any time and you're a college graduate, so that's the store I want to look at for you."

Trina grinned once more and nodded fervently. "Thank you so much for the opportunity, and I am _so_ sorry my sister and her friend popped in unannounced." Mandy laughed and shook her hand in the air.

"Don't worry about that at all. Go on and enjoy your day, we'll give you a call sometime within the week." Trina shook her hand than ran out the door, forgetting to order herself a sandwich in her excitement.

Just as she approached her car, she was met by Tori. She grabbed for her door handle and turned to face her sister, steeling herself just in case the girl had anything negative to say. "Look, sorry I showed up like that," Tori said while rolling her eyes. "I just-I don't know. It's _Subway_. It's a damn fast food restaurant, Trina. It's beneath us."

"What?" She pulled her hand away from the handle and narrowed her eyes. "It's not beneath me. Besides, at least I'm trying to find a job."

"Even you could do better." Tori flung her hair back. "I was only trying to save you from the humiliation of working fast food. I guess it kind of suits you, though…Even still, I'm not sure how long you can manage to keep the job without losing it. Not long, knowing your personality, probably."

She was tempted to bite back, but Tori seemed to be trying to provoke her. "You know what?" She opened the door and started to get in. Tori walked around the door and moved forward as if she were trying to enter. "I'm done having this conversation."

"Trina." She slammed the door shut and Tori jerked her hand away from the car. Her sister proceeded to knock on the window, but Trina ignored her and started up the car. She focused her gaze on the gear shift, then the rearview mirror and slowly pushed her foot on the gas to reverse.

She was flying too high to acknowledge Tori right now. After all, she'd essentially been hired, and fast food or not, Subway was a start. She couldn't turn it down and wasn't about to let a good thing slide through her fingertips.

Trina was going to give it her best shot, despite feeling like her sister was right and she wouldn't be able to last too long on the job. So she swallowed the fear the best she could and focused on the positivity of getting accepted, and hopefully talking to Cat about the good news.

* * *

So she landed the job, can't wait to see what her coworkers are going to be like and how well she can perform on the job.


	3. First Day, First Customers

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 3 (First Day, First Customers)

"Has anyone said anything yet?" Cat asked as she adjusted herself on the wooden chair across from the small table. She draped her arm over the back of the chair and looked across with a smile.

Trina was in her uniform that consisted of a black Subway apron, a green polo shirt and a black hat with _Subway_ written on it. On her apron were the words 'Sandwich Artist', of which she was immensely proud.

Currently she had another half hour before having to start her shift, so Cat was there to support her on her first day.

"No. Nothing since Tori and Jade showed up." She pushed her hands forward on the table and frowned when Cat rolled her eyes. "I was a little surprised Jade didn't say much-it was all Tori talking." Cat's eyes darted back and narrowed. Her shoulders rose.

"I'm not surprised." Cat's lips parted and a sigh rolled from them. "They may not be dating or anything like that, but rooming together still throws them together. What do you have when you have two manipulators enter into a relationship of any kind? The stronger, more assertive friend starts to take control."

"That's usually been Jade."

"Yeah, with Beck. She could manipulate him, control him, control everyone else…" Cat snapped her fingers. Trina pursed her lips and curled her fingers into her palm. Her eyes dipped to her hands and her brow started wrinkling. "Tori's vindictive. You know that as well as anyone-the first thing she did when she got to Hollywood Arts after her encounter with Jade and Beck was to kiss Beck just to get back at Jade."

"I guess so…"

"She has no reason but vindication-and over the years, transforming into a better than thou personality-has just become manipulative and assertive. Jade has always sought approval and acceptance-whether from Beck or from friends, even though she always pushed people away that she wanted to accept her."

"So what are you saying? Tori's suddenly more controlling than Jade is?"

"Yep. When you have the two dynamics, the stronger takes charge-and right now, Tori's the stronger."

She didn't want to argue, and she didn't know why Cat didn't care for Tori or Jade anymore, but it didn't seem anything worth discussing at the point. "You've grown cynical." She raised her hands and folded them over, bending her wrists beneath her chin. Cat's eyebrows arched and the girl clutched the medium sized drink in her right hand.

"It's not so much cynicism as it is having spent at least seven years watching the two of them stepping on other people-and it was Jade at first, but her influence turned your sister for the worse." She frowned, watching Cat raise her drink and sipping through the straw. The redhead's eyes fluttered shut and she pulled the straw away momentarily. "No offense."

"None taken."

"I'm not cynical; I'm tired."

"I guess there are worse people."

"Oh yeah, for sure." Cat set the drink down and her smile seemed to shine. "Pay me no mind. You enjoy your first day of work, and I'm just going to hang here finishing up my sandwich." Trina glanced at the clock and nodded once.

"Alright. Thanks for driving me up."

Cat furrowed her brow and shifted to the right, turning to push her back against the wall. "No problem, but what happened to your car? Your mom bought you a truck didn't she?"

"Yeah but it's in the shop." Holly gave her a Nissan Frontier truck, crème white, as a pity gift of sorts. It was shortly before she took off without any question. For now, Holly was still covering car payments, but Trina wasn't sure how long that generosity would last coming from a now deadbeat mother.

Trina glanced around to take in and admire her new place to work. In the center were four tables with three tables, each against a corner shaped wall with four walkthrough sections between them-forming somewhat of a plus.

She and Cat were seated on the left side, with her back to the front door and windows that overlooked the street and sky. All along the left wall were tables in two that ran into an alcove where the restroom section opened up and an adjacent door locked by code that led into the back area.

The windows on either side of the front doors were hugged by tables that looked like shelves.

The right side of the store sat the soda fountain machine and drink area, then the standing rack of chips. The display and workstation area had a long rack attached to the front extending from the bread display case to the register, chips lined this rack in sections of three by three.

"I'm going to enjoy seeing a full view of the cars going by outside."

"It's an interesting location, that's for sure." Cat rubbed her hand over her left shoulder. Trina noticed an air of distraction around her and followed the redhead's gaze.

Seated at the corner table closest to the soda fountain machine was a man clad in dark black leather with spiked shoulders and sleeves. He had dark jeans and a metal chain attached to his belt and left pocket. His elbows were bent with his hands folded and face against it, concealing his identity. He had familiar dark and wavy hair, but tied back into a ponytail.

Trina wiggled her nose and slid her hand back along her table. "Everything okay?" Cat turned her head and drew a smile but her eyes betrayed her emotion.

"Yeah." Cat's shoulders fell and she shook her head from left to right. "I'm going to stay here for a bit. You're working eleven to three, right?"

"Mhm." She was in training for three days, so she silently prayed she could perform well enough to keep working there. "I'm a little nervous, so if you wanted to stay here for a bit, then great." Obviously she wouldn't be able to visit with her much, but there couldn't be anything against Cat sitting around as a customer. "I'll have to focus on my work though."

"Of course." Cat waved her hand through the air. Her eyes darted back to the man. "Of course. I'll be right here if you need anything."

"Thanks." She stood up and hugged Cat tight. Her heart skipped as she stepped back. It was great to have such a good friend in Cat, and it meant a great deal that she was there for moral support.

As she walked towards the back door, she glanced at the man sitting in the corner seat. He hadn't ordered any food yet and had been sitting for a while, but in respect, there was a bit of a line.

His left hand was flat on the table then, and his right hand was wrapped around his chin and lips. The man turned his head slightly as she walked past, and she nearly stumbled when his eyes met hers.

It was Beck. He looked almost like a raccoon, with dark rings around bloodshot eyes. They were cold and unfeeling, and she felt as though he were staring right through her.

She felt for him after what happened between him and her sister. The whole thing tore Jade from him, and mostly because Tori needed a roommate and wasn't able to find one willing to take a starving artist musician.

Jade, on the other hand, had obtained a degree in clinical psychology and was working now as a paid intern at a counseling clinic while working towards her Master's. She had money, and Tori didn't feel like working while trying to make it as a musician; so Jade was the meal ticket who opened the doors for an old friend.

Still, the fight that broke out between everyone felt to Trina as though it was the result of years of tension. Tori crushed Beck with accusations of cheating, attempts at trying to solicit other girls.

She even twisted around a photograph of him when he was trying to help a friend of his-a working girl trying to get off the streets. He'd driven her to a drug rehab facility, but Tori captured only a photo of her entering his car.

Jade dumped him for the last time and swore never to speak to him again.

"You coming?" Someone asked. Trina snapped back into reality, pulling her eyes away from Beck's angry stare. A tall Mexican woman with a round face and thick glasses was leaning over the high wall and poking her head around. She had a friendly smile and high cheekbones. Her brown hair was pulled into a bun, with the bun poking through the back of her hat. She wore a black _Subway_ shirt and had an apron hanging from her neck that was tied around her waist.

"Yeah sorry Miss Sandra." Sandra was the manager of the store. She appeared to be in her late twenties, and from what little Trina spoke with her, she spoke in broken English.

"Come clock in. I'll need to show you what to do next."

She hit the code needed to enter the back area: 4-3-4-3, opened the door and stepped inside. To her immediate right were three deep metal sinks and a hose that hung above them. On her left was a mop bucket station and three long shelves on the wall that bore metal trays, bread form sheets, large white bowls and other objects.

She moved forward until she came to the intersection of an L shaped walkway. Going the long way down was a freezer, more shelves and a metal prep table that had a metal bowl containing tuna fish and mayonnaise.

The prep table was against the wall of a cooler, and it was straight across from another table and a walkway.

The door to the cooler opened and another Mexican woman stepped out with two black bins in her hands. She had sharp eyes and a narrow face, was about Trina's height, and had a long brown ponytail hanging from the back of her hat. She had a black _Subway_ shirt with the front buttons undone. Her apron was folded around her waist.

"Ah!" The woman said with a chipper laugh. "You must be Katrina, I'm Nancy."

"Good to meet you Miss Nancy." Trina smiled at her and looked at the two bins as Nancy set them down on the prep table. One had lettuce in it and the other had tomato.

Trina's eyes rose towards a large board on the wall. Many sheets of paper were attached. To the right of the board was a white board with various instructions writing in marker.

Hanging between the initial brown board and the frame of the walkway was a sheet of paper designating the employees and their hours. Her name was at the bottom, with just fifteen hours for the week. Her heart sank for a second and she shook her head.

Hopefully that would change, but she was frightened of that. She resigned herself to just do the best she could and hope for better hours. Sandra had thirty-eight for the week, Nancy had about thirty-five. The only other employee that had thirty hours was someone named Vincent.

There were two others: Ernie and Anton, each with just barely twenty hours.

"So it's not full time, Miss Nancy?" She wanted to remain polite and friendly, with both her coworkers and customers. Nancy looked up and laughed.

"Not yet. Why?"

"No reason." She took a deep breath and watched the woman walk through the walkway after removing the lids from the black tubs and taking the containers. "Okay." She brushed her hands down her apron and closed her eyes. "Don't be nervous. No reason to be nervous."

"Trina!" Sandra called out. She perked up and skipped into the back area. "Come clock in, I want to show you how to go from start to finish with a customer." She smiled openly and nodded, eager to learn how to do the job and do it well. Sandra had her right hand on her hip and was extending her left down the line. "Your first day you won't be doing anything but making sandwiches, but watch how I work with this next customer."

"Okay." She looked down to the end of the line, and standing at the bread display case was Beck. His eyes bore down on her, sending chills down her spine. She cleared her throat and turned her head to Sandra as the woman moved towards the bread display.

At the far end as well were the oven and the poofer machine, positioned against the wall right across from the bread display. To the immediate left of that, coming closer to the entryway, were two other display cases containing trays of bread.

There was a long counter with a small space between the display case and a _"TurboChef"_ toaster oven. She saw another space, then a steel microwave just before a sink.

It as a small and simple set up, to which was comfort. The display line had four long white boards, then two sides of three rows, each containing black tubs. The left half-the half closest to the register and cookie display-contained all the veggies and sauces. The right half contained all the meats.

As she approached Sandra, she lifted her eyes up and towards Beck. "This is one of our regular customers, Trina." She smiled lightly as Beck turned his attention to Sandra.

"I'll have a footlong wheat," Beck muttered. He scratched his nose and looked up to the menu. "Give me the cold cut trio this time, with guacamole." Trina crossed her arms and watched as Sandra yanked a loaf of wheat. Under the prep area were holders for small bread knives and a box of white paper sheets. Sandra grabbed a knife with a small handle and then one of the paper sheets.

She held the knife against the bread at a forty-five degree angle and glanced at Trina. "This is how you cut the bread," Sandra instructed, "Always at forty-five degree." She nodded and watched as Sandra sliced through the bread in a matter of seconds. "At this point you have a minute to make the sandwich."

Sandra reached into one of the rectangular bins and pulled out a sheet of circular deli meats. The Cold Cut Trio consisted of Bologna, Salami, and Ham. "Cold Cut Combo is easy," Sandra remarked, "You only have to put it down like so."

Sandra pressed the meat on the upper half of the now cut sandwich. The bottom half was designated for veggies.

Next, Sandra asked if Beck preferred any cheese-to which he asked for pepper jack. Trina watched her manager place four triangular slices of cheese over the meat, with the protruding tip pointing up, then down, back up and down again. He wanted it toasted, so Sandra pulled a metal plate with a black tray over. She set the paper and sandwich on the tray, slid it into the toaster and instructed Trina on the button settings.

The first button was listed as combo and it came up to four settings: One six inch, two six inches or one footlong, three six inches and four six inches or two footlongs.

"It's all a little overwhelming," Trina admitted. Sandra smiled back at her and nodded once.

"It's okay. You'll get the hang of it."

In eighteen seconds Beck's sandwich was done. Trina watched Sandra whip the sandwich out and pile on the veggies that Beck wanted: Shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeno. Next came the sauces: Brown mustard and Creamy Siracha.

"Now watch how we cut the bread." Sandra grabbed a long cutting knife with a black handle and put the blade on top of the bread while spreading her fingers out across the bread and knife. "We do this to hold the sandwich in place while cutting down the center."

"Okay." Trina locked her wrists behind her back and glanced at Beck. Sweat started to pour down her forehead and a nervous lump swelled in her throat as his dark eyes studied her. "How have you been, Beck?"

"Fine," he answered. Sandra's eyes lit up and her smile grew.

"Oh? You know each other?"

Beck shrugged and shifted his eyes back to the sandwich. "A little bit," Trina replied, "He used to be friends with my sister…"

"Yeah." She heard Beck mutter something that Sandra did not react to-as though she didn't hear. "Sister that ruined my life." Trina's heart sank for a moment but she opted to ignore him and focus on how Sandra wrapped the sandwich.

"You can handle the next customer," Sandra said once she rang up Beck's order. "I will see how you do."

"Okay." She bowed her head as Sandra hurried into the back to grab something. Beck grunted out her name and she glanced up to him. "Yeah Beck?"

"I got a question for you. You're a criminal justice major, right? What are you doing working at _Subway_? Not that there's anything wrong with it…"

"I need to earn money somehow."

"Ah, so you're willing to actually _work_ while you're looking for something in your career field?" His bushy eyebrows rose and Trina felt an uneasy feeling in her gut. He grabbed his sandwich up and shook his head. "Another question. You watch the ID network?"

"I do. Sometimes."

"They say crime happens by people you know, is that a true statistic? I've always wondered."

"Usually." She shrugged. "Statistically you're more likely to be a victim of someone you know." She curled her fingers over the hole of the white board that opened into a metal trash bin underneath. "So…those fears of the 'boogeyman' being a stranger are a bit unfounded. Why?"

Beck hummed once before turning away. "Just curious. I didn't know it was a true statistic." Trina glanced at the redhead girl still seated at the table and a faint smile spread across her face. Cat was scowling and watching Beck closely.

Trina was also grateful for the display window-which was actually called a sneeze guard. She was secure behind the line. Where she was afraid for a split second that Beck could lunge over the rounded top and grab at her, she felt enough to be able to step away from reach.

A bell chimed, signaling someone entering through the front doors. Her heart skipped as a muscular shadow stretched across the floor. "Ah, my first customer!" She said with joy. Nancy was standing nearby, grinning from ear to ear.

"Another of our regulars," Nancy marveled, "And one that is patient." Trina nodded. "So don't be afraid to make mistakes." Beck walked back to his table and the new customer passed by his side.

This was a man in his mid-twenties, tall and broad shouldered. He wore a blue denim jacket that was open loose around a white t-shirt which seemed to hug his chest.

The shirt was tucked into navy blue jeans that covered the tops of dark brown boots.

In the corner of her eyes, she saw Cat's gaze grow large and her jaw seemed to collapse. The man had walked by without noticing her, but Trina was more startled by the girl's reaction.

"Hey there," the man stated. He had a gentle smile and a deep voice. His eyes were deep and sharp, and he had thin brown eyebrows that matched his short, sandy brown hair. "Did I just hear Nancy tell you to make mistakes?" His smile turned to a smirk and Trina found herself blushing.

"Um well, I mean, it is my first day." She stumbled over to the bread display and Nancy chuckled, shaking her head. "Sorry. What would you like?" The man folded his arms over the top of the display case and peered down at the meat options.

"You know what? I think I'll take an _Italian BMT_. Double meat. Footlong on flatbread, please." His eyes drifted to her and the redness in her cheeks intensified. "I'll bet you get this on the first try."

"Um, sure." She almost feel the blood rushing through her body as she grabbed the flatbread from the display behind her. Trina started to set the bread down on the white boards, but Nancy slipped two paper sheets under her just before she made contact. "Oh, sorry."

"No forgetting the paper," Nancy instructed. "You might have to replace the bread."

"Oh it's fine if the bread touches the line," The man replied with a smile. "I'm sure you keep those boards clean enough." Nancy nodded once and Trina took a deep breath.

"Okay." She slid her fingers over the bill of her hat and started reading the small strips of paper taped to the top of the display case. Each had sandwich formulas on them. "Right. Italian BMT. Six pepperoni, six salami and four ham…"

The man raised his index finger up and flashed a toothy grin. "Double meat. I'm hungry-just got done teaching class."

"Oh?" Trina grabbed the pepperoni and started pulling the slices apart. They were stuck together, so it was a struggle, but the man didn't seem to mind her slowness. "Where do you teach?"

"I'm in the same lot area here." They were in a giant complex of office spaces. Her store took up the corner of their building, and just behind them was a large dumpster. "I'm leasing a martial arts studio in the building just behind you guys."

"That's cool." She counted the pepperoni, making sure it was double: twelve slices instead of six. She moved to the salami next, then the ham, which was much harder to pull apart. "Nancy says you're a regular, huh?"

"Great place to come during lunch." The man crossed his arms and tilted his head to the right, watching closely as she fought with the ham. She tore the slice and let a groan slip out. "I'm not picky, so don't worry about tearing it." He pointed to the sandwich and flashed another smile that heated her cheeks. "Go ahead and place that on there if you like, I don't mind."

"Okay." She looked to Nancy as if questioning her. Nancy's eyebrows rose up and she nodded reassuringly. "What cheese, sir?"

"Swiss please, and I'd like to have it toasted."

He was a relief after dealing with Beck just moments ago, so she didn't mind making the sandwich for him. It took some time, and the veggies seemed to pile on. When she went to fold the sandwich over and cut it, the bread started splitting around the cut, and when she wrapped the sandwich-the end was but an open flap.

"Here." Nancy took the sandwich and rewrapped it, showing her how to place the sandwich in the center to wrap neatly. "Wrap it tight to hold in the veggies and make sure the ends are closed in so nothing leaks."

"Okay. Thank you." Trina folded her hands at her waist and looked up at the man. "Enjoy the sandwich, and have a great day!"

"Thanks," he replied. As he picked up the sandwich and started to turn, he stopped and raised his hand. "You know…you look very familiar." He turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "Have we met before?"

"No. I don't think so."

"No? I could have sworn I've seen you before." He smiled and tossed some of his change into the tip jar. "Maybe it'll come to me. Good job on your first sandwich, by the way."

"Thanks." She watched him leave, trying to contemplate whether or not she'd seen him before. He seemed familiar, but only in fleeting glimpses. When she looked at Cat, she could see the girl chuckling and shaking her head, as if she'd recognized this man.

If she had, then she would probably end up telling her about it. Either way, Trina was more concerned with learning to do her job and improving as much as she could.

* * *

So what are your thoughts and observations here? Any reaction to Beck's overall demeanor? Think what he asked Trina was truly just open curiosity and conversation? Also the first coworkers you get, Sandra and Nancy, they're obviously loosely based on my supervisor and main coworker, two truly amazing people. While this story is loosely based on my experiences with my coworkers and job, this is Trina's story-so characters being based or inspired by certain coworkers (two of whom fit the title words), that is just it, Trina has her own story and life. That said, any thoughts on the guy at the end? I will say per my vision of the story, there's a pretty good reason I have him passing Beck side by side like that, though the two don't know each other and will perhaps only interact one time in the entire story. That one time is a critical moment


	4. Distractions

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 4 (Distractions)

Trina felt uncomfortable with Beck still in the store, staring at her with such venom in his eyes. She wanted to scream at him to look away. Didn't he know she'd been on his side during everything, and during the one time she ever defended any of Tori's friends?

Cat was still there as well, munching on yet another sub sandwich. She'd been talking on the phone for a little earlier, and that was before _Tori_ arrived. Tori was there by herself, and surprisingly not there to stir up trouble.

Trina had mixed feelings seeing her sister at her place of work, and was confused by the strange pitiful glances Tori was giving her. Either Tori was upset about something, or 'expressing sympathy' over her working at a fast food restaurant.

Either way, Trina was happy to have this job.

"You okay?" Someone asked. Trina tensed for a split second and glanced over her shoulder, smiling at the coworker that just walked in. It was Vincent. He had a pink subway shirt on and was a large but friendly seeming person. His hair was cut in the form of a buzz and he had a skewer piercing through his left ear. "You seem distracted."

"I'm fine." Her first day was hectic-her first lunch rush. She wasn't sure how many customers there were or how many sandwiches she made, but she was grateful that for now the store was quiet. "I'm taking in the calm before the next storm…"

Vincent smirked and folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah, you'll get used to it. You have to…" He brushed his thumb across his nose and looked up at the packed lobby. "Our busiest days are Monday and Tuesday."

This was Thursday. Her second and third day of training was tomorrow and Saturday. From what Mandy said in the overall interview, employees had to pass certain tasks well enough in those first three days in order to continue working at the store.

She didn't want to just be standing around either, she needed to be doing something. Mandy talked about how they had problems with some workers-usually high school age-that just stood around doing nothing. Managers and supervisors had cameras everywhere, so they would be able to tell.

Trina had been accused of many things in her life, but she knew herself and she was not lazy. "You want to show me how to do stuff, Vincent? I've got sandwich making down." She paused for a second as Vincent raised an eyebrow. Her hand rose to her mouth and her finger hooked over her lip. "I mean, I hope I'm doing okay."

"You're doing fine so far." He smiled and waved his hand through the air. "Come on, I need you to stock the drink station." She nodded and followed him, glancing at the register and fingerprint scanner on her way out.

The fingerprint scanner was how employees individually signed in to clock in, ring up sales, and various other operations. It helped with record keeping and making sure there was no confusing employees.

When she had to be entered in as an employee, her thumb and forefinger were scanned-four times each. She had never used a cash register before, so she was nervous about it. She didn't have to worry too much, since she wouldn't be using the register until her third day of training.

"It is my third day that I work the register, right?"

"No, that's your second." She froze and Vincent glanced back curiously. "Something wrong?" Clearing her throat, she shook her head and followed him to where they kept the bottled drinks stored. "Yeah, your second day you'll be on the register mostly so you can learn that. The third day, you combine register and sandwich making."

"No trouble."

Vincent set several crates of bottled drinks, ranging from sodas to teas and milks-on a black pushcart. He smiled softly and motioned his head to the right. "Nancy said one of our regular customers came in and had you blushing. What was that about?"

"What?" A nervous laugh left her throat and she raised her fingers over her mouth. "Nothing. That was nothing." Vincent leaned his head to the right. She could see the skepticism in his eyes as the disbelief vibrated from his lips.

"Uh huh. The martial arts instructor from the studio behind our building." Vincent pulled the door open and pushed the cart out into the restaurant area. Trina followed him to the drink refrigerator and crossed her arms once there. "He seems to have that effect on women. Nancy, not so much, since she's got a boyfriend; but I have seen some of our customers looking at him. He doesn't usually give them the time of day though."

She dropped her shoulders and sighed. "Oh." Maybe the guy didn't have any interest in romance like herself, but then there were other possibilities. "Maybe he's not into women?" Vincent jerked his head back, then laughed openly.

"Oh believe me, that guy's straighter than an arrow." Trina raised an eyebrow and Vincent gave her a knowing wink. "If you ever run into him in the parking lot, you should talk to the guy. He's fairly intelligent. For an athlete." Trina laughed.

"Hey, don't knock athletes. I used to be one." Athletes needed to be smart, but got a bad rep for being 'stupid' for some reason. She herself had been into gymnastics and martial arts throughout her childhood and teen years. She only stopped to focus on college. "But by 'talk in the parking lot', I suppose you mean when I'm off work."

"Oh yeah. You don't really have time for socialization when you're on the clock." Victor scratched his head and sighed. "When we're slow enough and you have a friend over, that's pretty much it. I mean, Sandra and Nancy are laid back and friendly. Sandra is serious as hell, but she's not overbearing."

That was the feeling she got as well, and that made her feel pretty good knowing Sandra was more humanistic than oppressive. She was afraid that she wasn't good enough, so having a manager like Sandra made her feel better than if she had a manager shouting at her constantly.

"You know, I was a manager once at another store. It was nice, but it wasn't for me. Too much stress." Vincent opened the door and pointed at the open spaces. "Okay, here's the set up. Stock at least four drinks."

It looked like a reasonable set up, though one she would have to try and memorize. There were six shelves, several bottled drinks: Water, sprite, coke zero, coca cola, and milk. There was even a section for apples. "Go ahead and make sure there are four or five drinks in each spot. The apples? Same thing."

"Got it. I'll try to go fast too." Vincent flashed a smile and nodded as the front door's bell chimed, signaling a customer entering the store.

Trina got right to work as Vincent hurried off. She could feel eyes on her, but when she looked up, she didn't know who was watching her. It was an unsettling feeling that she got, but she decided to ignore it the best she could.

Beck, Tori, and Cat were all watching her, but it was Beck that made her feel the most uncomfortable. When she looked up, Tori was walking towards him. Her heart stopped and she studied the two with hopes they didn't cause a scene.

Tori's eyes were sharp and accusative, and Beck's remained as demeaning and spiteful as they had been. Tori didn't sit down where he was, but stood with arms crossed. "Maybe you should stop looking at my sister, huh?" She heard Tori say. Her right eyebrow rose and she tilted her head. "I don't care if you were helping that street chick or not, it wasn't Trina that snapped the picture-it was me."

"Shut the fuck up." Beck scowled and slapped his hand onto the table. "I have nothing to say to you, bitch." Tori jerked her head back and her jaw fell open. "You cost me Jade. You cost me _everything_."

"Bullshit. The two of you have been on and off so much, I did her a _favor_. If you didn't split up for good, you probably would have cheated on her again."

Trina couldn't help to focus on the drama, though she kept consistent watch on the bottled drinks she was stocking.

Beck pounded his chest and spoke with a growl through clenched teeth. "I was going to propose to her, you fucking prima donna." He rose from his seat and glared mere inches from Tori's gaze. "You took everything from me. Just you wait, you'll get yours soon enough." Beck flashed a toothy grin and tilted his head. "What the hell do you care? All you care about is using my girlfriend as a fucking meal ticket and getting her to leave me so she won't be persuaded by the only person able to see through your fucking ruse."

She was in partial agreeance with what Beck was accusing Tori of; he likely would have told Jade not to let Trina take advantage of her money. Jade was rich because of her father, and the girl had gotten an internship due to the man. She would likely get into her career because of him, so Tori would never have to worry about not having a job while trying to get a jumpstart in the music career.

By all outsider accounts, Tori was mooching off Jade and taking advantage of their friendship, but Trina wasn't sure if that was the true case or if it was something else entirely. She saw both points: She didn't think it was right what Tori was doing, because the girl _was_ taking advantage of Jade to avoid having to work, but she didn't think Beck was right to be so accusative with the girl.

In the back of her mind she hoped Tori would come to her senses and realize she needed to be independent and not rely on somebody else to pay her way. A career in music was difficult, and most struggling artists had to support themselves with a second job.

Tori may not intentionally be taking advantage, but Trina wasn't able to tell. To her, all she saw anymore was a girl that got lost in trying to find fame and being able to burn bridges with people while in the process. She didn't think her sister cared about anyone but herself anymore, at least, it had been years since she thought Tori gave an iota of a thought for her.

When she turned her head she saw Vincent moving towards her. He had a serious expression on his face and concern in his eyes. "Everything okay?" He crossed his arms and looked at Beck and Tori. "You seem a bit distracted."

"No I'm fine." She shook her head and shut the door. Everything was stocked, and well done, though she wasn't fast as she should have been. "It's just, I'm not sure how in the hell so many people I know personally are here right now."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, my sister and one of her former friends. One of your regulars, anyway. They're getting into it over there." Vincent hummed a bit and looked to the pair. Beck only had a pack of three cookies left, and Tori finished with her _veggie delight_ footlong sub.

Some of the other customers were watching them, most likely due to the language they were using.

Vincent walked over to them and Trina could feel a rush of nervousness swelling within her. "Hey," Vincent started, "I'm going to have to ask you to tone it down. You're disrupting some of the customers…" Trina smiled at him and started to push the cart back.

She admired Vincent, and on her first day she could feel a bit of a friendly pull to him. Nancy and Sandra were sweet and friendly enough, but she felt like he was more personable. Although, this was only her first day, so that was subject to change.

Once she was back behind the line, she met with Nancy, who was cleaning the oven. Nancy cast a smile on her and motioned with her head. "Grab the next customer, okay?" Trina smiled back.

"Sure." She knew this was only scratching the surface of her duties, but it was also the most important thing. So far, she enjoyed working with the customers, helping them with their orders and being polite as she could be. "If one comes in, it seems a bit slow right now."

"It is." Nancy wiggled her nose and glanced at the lobby. "Usually more customers at this hour." It was almost two, so she had another hour to work. Nancy winked at her and cast a playful smirk. "Maybe Jason will come back and make you blush."

Her cheeks grew hot and her eyebrows rose. "Jason? You mean the guy from before? That was just a one-time thing…"

"Uh huh. You blush like a schoolgirl when he look at you."

"I uh…" She chuckled and looked across the meats and veggies. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She spoke quickly and pointed at the salami. "We're almost out of salami, you want me to go grab some?"

"Yes, and no get distracted, okay." She chuckled once more and shrugged.

"By what?"

Nancy smirked and arched an eyebrow. "You know what." The woman crossed her arms and bopped her head in the direction of the lobby. "Fighting friends and cute boys. Not while working. Off the clock, sure, but not while you're working."

"Oh I wouldn't even think of being distracted." She smiled hopefully and rushed for the cooler in the back to grab the salami.

She'd been distracted and she knew it. It was her first day, so she was embarrassed that she'd been so caught up in everything. If Beck came back again-and he probably would since he was a regular-she'd have to ignore him.

At the very least, Cat wasn't causing any issues by simply being there, so she wasn't a problem. Then there was that martial artist; the one Nancy called 'Jason', she only blushed one time when he smirked at her, so she didn't consider him a distraction. He was only a customer, so it wasn't like there was anything to worry about there.

* * *

Pretty simple for the first day, but we've met Vincent. What are your thoughts on everything?


	5. Second Day and Not-So-Random Encounters

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Best quote from my manager ever after asking the owner's son for advice on going a little faster: "The owner is not your friend…He don't know my store, he doesn't work here-he doesn't know where anything is. You can ask me anything. Nancy, Amanda, we are your friend. The owner? Not your friend. I cannot cover for you all the time, no asking stupid questions to the owner…."

Speaking of the owner, the best name I could come up with the owner based on our owner is Shay. In this story, that bears absolutely no relation whatsoever to the iCarly people-absolutely zero connection whatsoever.

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Chapter 5 (Second Day of Training)

For her second day, Trina entered the restaurant and her attention was caught by the radio. The store was quiet and Sandra was standing in front of the line, cutting open a bag of lettuce. _"Settle down, it will all be clear. Don't pay no mind to the demons, they fill you with fear."_ Trina's lips curled into a smile and she took a deep inhale as Sandra's eyes drifted up and mixed with hers.

 _"The trouble it might drag you down, if you get lost you can always be found."_ Her heart rose in her chest and fluttered for a moment as Sandra smiled and waved her forward. _"Just know you're not alone, 'cause I'm going to make this place your home."_

"I love that song." Trina moved past the display and beamed as Sandra nodded. Sandra turned to move for the back. She hit the numbers on the door, waited for the entry light to flash green, then turned the handle and pushed it open.

Nancy was at the prep table wearing a red _Subway_ shirt. Trina had noticed incorrectly the color of the shirt yesterday, that it had been red-black was a shirt that managers wore evidently. "Morning Trina." Nancy waved. "You ready?"

"Huh?" She blinked, still having trouble understanding Nancy's dialect. Nancy shook her head and repeated herself with a laugh. "Oh. Yeah, ready as I'll ever be." She turned her eyes to Sandra, who was tapping her nails on a sheet of paper on the table.

"Trina." She hurried over and frowned at the paper; it was the checklist of things that she was to do during the days of her training. "You forgot to initial all of Day 1."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Let me get to that."

"Sure." As she went through the first day checklist, she started to wonder if she was doing a good job. Years of being undervalued and irrelevant were like clouds of doubt on her mind. "I hope I'm good enough."

It wasn't said with the intention of being aloud, but when she caught herself saying it, her body tensed and she glanced up to Sandra nervously. Her manager's calm smile soothed the tensions in her muscles and reassured her. "Don't worry, Trina. Come, I'll show you the register. Keep remembering to smile and be friendly with customer."

"Okay." She had no qualms about being friendly and smiling, and had done nothing but that in entirety yesterday. It made her happy to see the customers smile and laugh, because she knew a little happiness could go a long way. Even more with a delicious meal to boot, and she truly felt _Subway_ was among the best, so she took pride in trying to offer the most in quality service.

"Let me show you cash drop." Sandra struck the restaurant functions button and pressed her thumb to the blue fingerprint scanner. Trina brushed her lips together and sucked them inwards as she watched the woman strike the 'Cash Drop' button. "Here we do cash drop by one hundred each time."

A rectangular diagram popped up, reminding her of a calculator. Sandra punched in '100', then hit the print button. The register popped open and a small receipt for the amount entered printed from the printer. "When we have many customer, we put this in register, but try to get to it as soon as you are able."

"Okay."

"For today, I want you to focus on the register. Learn it. It is your friend. Don't be afraid of it." Her hands were trembling so much that she had to push them in her pockets to avoid letting Sandra see her nervousness. Sandra raised her hand towards Trina's shoulder, letting it hover for a second. "You will be fine." Trina closed her eyes and felt the air shift as Nancy walked behind her.

"Deep breath Trina," Nancy remarked. "Relax. Be confident."

"That's right." Trina opened her eyes, releasing a held breath while looking into Sandra's eyes. "We are a team, Trina. Me, Nancy, Vincent, you-all part of an entire unit." Her heart rose and she felt a rush of air beneath her, tantalizing her. "Just do your best and you will be fine. If you need any help, let us know. That's why we're here, to help each other."

"Thank you."

It was hard to express just how much she appreciated Sandra's words. She wanted to hug it out, but knew it wasn't professional. Either way, she was elated and felt an odd sensation inside of her; something she'd never felt before.

"I am going to finish prepping the tuna. Try to familiarize yourself with the register."

Trina nodded and turned towards the register, sweeping her fingers over her ears and breathing in sharp.

She knew a rush of customers would come at any moment, so she took the opportunity she had to fully investigate the 'ring sales' option of the register. All the subs were listed in small colored boxes, there was a button for debit/credit card, one for _subway_ cards, and one for discounts.

In the back of her mind, she heard a new song play over the radio and rolled her eyes. It was 'Trouble', by Taylor Swift, a song she hated. Just as it played, the front door chimed and almost conveniently on cue, Beck Oliver stepped into the store for his daily sandwich.

The joy in her heart sank quickly as the man's shadowy eyes fell onto her. His entire face seemed to be shaded by the dark hair that framed it, giving him a more sinister appearance than she'd seen in him.

He wore his black leather jacket over a white shirt and beige pants. "Oh. It's you." He scowled and turned his head as though contemplating whether or not to leave. Instead, he moved like a ghost across the glossy floor, stopping at the bread station. "Well?" He waved his hand in a circular motion and furrowed his brow. "Come on, I'm hungry."

"What's wrong?" Trina walked towards the bread case, glancing over her shoulder in hope that Sandra or Nancy would come out and take care of him. It took every ounce of her strength not to call for help, but she didn't want to turn away a customer and appear unreliable.

Her heart seemed as though it would tear away from her, the longer she came under Beck's sneering eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You're looking at me like you're about to strangle me. It's really uncomfortable."

"Oh, sorry." Beck crossed his arms and shrugged. "I'm just stressed and hungry. A bad combination." He poked his index finger out and spoke with a growl in his voice. "Footlong tuna, please."

Trina mustered a smile as she opened the door. "What bread would you like?" He tapped his chin and pointed to the top tray.

"Honey oat."

"Okay. Footlong tuna, honey oat…" She set the loaf on the deli paper and started cutting. The entire time, she could feel Beck's eyes pouring over the top of the sneeze guard and burning into her. She ignored this the best she could, maintaining her smile as she placed four scoops of tuna on the top portion. "Would you like any cheese?"

Beck's right nostril and lip twitched and he bounced his head backwards. "American. Best cheese." She furrowed her brow and looked up at him curiously. "Your family's from Spain, right?" Trina rubbed her arm and her lower lip tucked underneath her teeth. "Your cheese probably isn't as good. America's where it's at…" He narrowed his eyes and huffed. "Of all the _Subways_ you could have been hired at, you had to be hired at the one I frequent."

"You could go to another," Nancy said from behind. Trina flinched and looked over to see her co-worker pulling gloves on her hand. The woman's sharp eyes zeroed in on Beck, causing him to shrink and back away for a moment. "I wouldn't judge the quality of cheese based on its name, señor."

Beck huffed, clearly frazzled. Trina felt like smirking, but retained her smile in hope that she didn't show Nancy any disdain or irritation with a customer.

"Besides that, have you ever tried queso fresco? A supreme cheese." Trina's eyebrows rose and she walked towards the register. Nancy slapped on the cheese and leaned towards the right. "Will you have it toasted?"

"Sure."

"Great." When Beck looked away, Nancy puckered her lips and twisted her face into a sour expression that faded the moment he glanced back. "It'll be just eighteen seconds."

By the time Beck approached the register, Trina was doing all she could to stop herself from laughing. She clenched her teeth and flashed a smile when Beck removed a card from his wallet. "Will you be having the meal with that, Beck?" Nancy stood at her side, hands on her waist and eyes peering over her shoulder at the register.

Beck grabbed a bag of _Ms. Vickie's kettle cooked jalapeno chips_ and tossed them on the ground. Nancy's mouth formed a circle and her eyebrows rose. "Oh you like jalapenos? But they no Americano." Beck rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Whatever. How much do I owe you?"

Trina struck the total button after adding the chips to his sandwich and read him the price. She hit the card button and waited for him to swipe. "I hope you enjoy the meal." She tore the receipt from the printer and handed it over. "Have a wonderful day." Beck let out a grunt and walked for the door.

"No worry," Nancy whispered, "I'm from Mexico." Her shoulders fell and a rush of air spilled from her lips. Nancy pat herself on the chest and motioned with her head at the door. "I handle that customer next time, 'kay?"

"I appreciate that…" The doorbell chimed and Trina's gaze flew to the door. When she saw Jason strutting in, she grinned from ear to ear. "It's your other regular." Nancy laughed gaily and pat her shoulder.

"You take this customer. I go finish preparing the veggies."

"What?" She did a double take as Nancy walked away. Jason looked a slight bit different today, less like James Dean and more like a martial artist with a denim jacket over his uniform. "Hi. Welcome to Subway."

Jason's eyes dropped to her nametag and he waved at her. "Second day, Trina? How are you enjoying it?"

"Good. Good." She straightened her back and stretched her arm out down the line. "Will you be getting a sandwich today?"

"Yep. Lunch break." He pushed his hand through his hair. His chest expanded and his shoulders lifted up. "Thought I'd get here before some of my students today, and a bit before the usual lunch crowd."

She felt a gentle nudge beside her and glanced over to see Vincent clocking in. Vincent cast a knowing smile and motioned for her to get to work. Trina hurried to the sandwich case and opened the door. "What would you like?"

Jason scratched his head. "I think I know where I've seen you before."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He snapped his fingers and looked over his shoulder. "That girl that was here yesterday. The redhead." She froze for a moment, curious where this was going. Cat told her a little bit, but not much-that she met Jason a few years prior at some home assignment at their teacher's place. "She latched onto me once and dragged me over to her friend's house. I'm pretty sure I saw you there." Jason rubbed his chin and looked to the sandwich case. "Wheat, by the way. Footlong, please."

"That's my friend Cat, she was my sister's friend for the longest time." Trina removed the wheat bread and set it on the deli paper. "You know that guy yesterday? Um, tall-dark hair?"

Jason poked his thumb behind him. "Just walked out, looking like someone shot his dog?" Tina stifled a laugh and pressed her lips together, humming her confirmation. "Yeah, he does look a little familiar too."

"He was at that party or assignment or whatever, also my sister's friend." She bit her lip and sighed. "Former." She shook her head and waved her hand over the meat section. "What would you like?"

"BMT, same as before please."

"Okay."

She grabbed the ham first, struggling to pull it apart. "So what happened between them, if you don't mind me asking?" Jason moved his arms behind his back. Trina could see his legs were spread apart, forming a bit of a triangle-it was stunning how militaristic he appeared, and it made her wonder if he had some military in his background. She was afraid of asking such a personal question of a customer though.

"Big fight. He was helping a friend off the streets, my sister took a picture to make it look like he was cheating on his girlfriend. So instead of moving in with him, Jade dumped him and rented an apartment with my sister."

Jason frowned and shook his head slowly. "Poor guy. I can only imagine, but I dated a manipulator once long ago-it's rough."

"Tori's not usually like that, it's not her. Or, it wasn't her before she went to that arts school." Trina motioned to the cheese and Jason picked out the Swiss, then asked for it to be toasted. "She was desperate. She was wrong for what she did, and I defended Beck during that fight, but she's not normally that way…"

"Sounds like you're trying to defend them both." Jason's right eyebrow arched and his hand rose to his chin.

"She's my sister. She was wrong, and needs to know; but she's my sister and I love her." Trina's hand rested on the handle of the toaster and her head bowed. "Even if she doesn't…"

When the toaster beeped, she jumped and quickly opened it up to remove the black tray and sandwich. "Sorry, this really isn't the place to talk." She cleared her throat and set the sandwich down on the white boards. "What veggies would you like?

"Black olives, tomatoes, lettuce and banana peppers." She tried to place all of them without making it look sloppy, but it was difficult since she was attempting to move swiftly. "I'll also have some sweet onion, please. Plenty of that." He leaned forward, watching closely as she applied the sauce. "You know, I'm always right behind the store if you ever want to stop in. Just saying. We're in the same parking lot…maybe we'll run into each other."

Shivers ran down her arms and back, and she stammered for a second. "Maybe." She wrapped up the sandwich and pushed it into the long _Subway_ bag. Trina swept her fingers over her ear and rushed through the register process.

She could feel eyes upon her, but it wasn't Jason's. When she was done and he paid, she lifted the sandwich up to hand it to him. He grabbed the bottom of it as well and his hand wrapped around hers, sending a spark shooting through her arm and freezing the two of them in that position for a moment.

Her blood grew hot and the temperature began to rise, flooding her cheeks with a different kind of heat as Jason looked into her eyes. The right corner of his mouth drifted up and he tilted his head a bit. "May I have my sandwich, Trina?"

"Wh-yes." She cleared her throat and pulled her hand away as fast as she could, pretending like nothing happened. "Enjoy your day and have a wonderful meal." She blinked twice and listened to Jason's deep chuckle as he turned away.

Trina turned around to see her three co-workers standing in the doorway with their arms crossed. They shook their heads and smiled as they flocked down the line. "It's 'enjoy your meal'," Sandra said with a laugh in her voice. "'Enjoy your meal and have a wonderful day'." Sandra's laugh was playful and her tone teased her. "Wake up Trina, wake up."

"I-I'm awake." She glanced at the tabletop bolted to the floor and windows. Jason was seated with his back to the line. He was bent only slightly at the waist, raising his sandwich sideways to his mouth. The sun seemed shone through the windows, lighting up his broad shoulders and creating an aura of light on his face.

She felt herself starting to lean while curious questions came to mind for Jason. She wanted to know more about him; she was intrigued by his mystery.

"Oh Trina?" She jerked her head back and glanced at Sandra and Nancy with a timid smile. "You are over the first customer already, I take? Better mood now?" She blinked twice before remembering Beck.

"Uh yes. Yes, definitely."

"Good. Now focus, we have more customers." Sandra pointed at the door and Trina's heart jumped when she saw a group of people walking to the door. As they were walking, a car was pulling up. This was it, this was the lunch rush she was expecting.

It wasn't long before there was a line from the register to the door, and Trina had six sandwiches next to her with Nancy wrapping the next. "Come on," Nancy said playfully, "Hurry up." While only a tease, it made Trina nervous as she tried to move fast.

Handing change was no easy task either. "Here you are ma'am," Trina said while handing the next customer ten dollars in change. The dispenser shot out the coins needed. She was feeling overwhelmed, but remained happy and pleasant.

Jason was watching from his table, seemingly impressed by this display. Though his impression of her was less surprising when Trina caught a glimpse of police officer David Vega walking by him on the outside of the store window. "What's my _dad_ doing here?" She asked under her breath, making sure no one heard.

David stood at the back of the line, arms crossed and half smile across his face. His eyes focused on her as she dealt with the customers the best she could. It was nerve-wracking enough, so his gaze did the opposite of help.

Everything was slowing down as the customers either left the store or sat down. Eventually, Mandy entered the store with a man she could only catch a glimpse of.

She saw Nancy point him out and say that this was the owner, Mr. Kevin Shay. The sun was in her face, so it was difficult for her to make out his face. She ignored him as he and Mandy walked around to the back. Sandra hurried into the back area as well, most likely to talk to Shay.

"You know discount?" Nancy asked. Trina hummed curiously and looked up as her father was telling Vincent what sandwich he wanted. "Like with police officers, they get employee discount too. On occasion, you can give discount to relative."

"So long as it's not a lot," Vincent said. He was standing at the toaster, waiting as it cooked. "We fill out the yellow tickets…" He pointed the metal plate at the metal bucket under the register. "The pink tickets are for officers."

Trina bent down and grabbed a meal ticket. She hadn't thought about discounts and hadn't felt like taking advantage of them until she read that every employee must use a ticket otherwise they would be terminated.

David stepped in front of the register and smiled plainly. "Hello there Trina." Nancy and Vincent raised their eyebrows and David started to speak with a joking voice. "So, relative and cop, does that mean I get two discounts?"

She chuckled in reply. "No dad. That would be one hundred percent off…"

"Worth a shot." He took the pink paper and a pen, then proceeded to write his information down. "Enjoying your second day?" He was calm and collected, and spoke so serenely that it threw her for a loop.

"Sure." She didn't think he cared, and she was still sure he didn't. He never asked her anything about her first day, so what was this change in his behavior?

"Driving by earlier…" He straightened his back and removed his wallet from his back pocket. "I saw that kid, um-" He narrowed his eyes and waved his hand in a circular motion. "Brett or whatever."

"Beck?"

"Yeah." David took his sandwich and his nostrils spread apart. "Is he causing problems? Tori said they got into it yesterday."

There it was; the reason he was here in the first place, because of Tori. Her heart and shoulders sank and she shook her head slowly. "He's a regular here. That's all." David frowned. He didn't look satisfied by her answer, but didn't press any further.

"Alright." He breathed a heavy sigh and shrugged. "You let me know." He turned his eyes towards Nancy, then Sandra as she walked into the line. "You as well. If that Rick kid-"

"Beck." She closed her eyes and began tapping her left fingertips on the counter with a furious manner. "His name is Beck."

"Right." David pulled a napkin from the sandwich bag and proceeded to write his number down. "If he causes problems, call me." He handed the paper over to Sandra, who accepted it graciously.

Trina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Dad, he's harmless. He's just bent out of shape over what Tori did. That's all."

"If you say so, Trina. Still, I'm a police officer, I need to know if someone is a risk to a place of business and their customers." He paused briefly and stared at her as if wanting to say something more. She bit her lip and leaned forward, secretly hoping for a footnote in his statement mentioning her. "Its employees as well…"

"Everything is fine, Officer Vega." Sandra was holding up the napkin and scanning the number with her eyes. "We have had little trouble aside from racist remarks from that customer. He is a regular and has not displayed any threatening demeanor." Sandra glanced up and cast a fleeting glimpse at Trina. "Safety _is_ a priority. I am responsible for my employees and I make sure _all_ are protected and safe. Rest assured, I hope not to need your number."

By the end of her shift, she did have a sandwich- _Italian BMT with double meat_. It was her favorite sandwich, due to having the most meat of all the sandwiches. She had Vincent ring prep and ring her sandwich up because the ticket stated another employee had to ring her up.

Vincent told her that, in the future, she is able to make her own sandwich and doesn't need to have another employee make it for her. She was a bit scared of doing that, but trusted his word.

It was an eventful and overwhelming day, one that came with embarrassment over the amount of attention she got. None of it aided her self-consciousness and low esteem, and she silently prayed that she was doing good enough to be granted fuller employment once the three day training period was over. For that to happen, she needed less of these encounters singling her out.

* * *

Yeah the training period we're focusing mainly on her being at the store. We'll see her at home and in other environments, but the training is sort of gaining bearings and so forth. What are you thinking? All the encounters going on here, and the overwhelming line, surely it's not too much for her? Think David may have some amount of guilt or genuine concern? What are your thoughts on all that is going on?


	6. Feelings, Emotions, Strength

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 6 (Feelings, Emotions, and Strength)

"Tell me." David sat in his recliner to the left of the couch, his hands folded gently in his lap and his expression was stern but calm. Tori was on the couch with Jade, and a cushion between the two of them. "Have you found a job yet, Tori? Anything at all?"

Trina watched from the stairwell with a curious gaze. The girls had been arguing a bit lately, so they came over to get David to try and settle it. "She hasn't found a thing yet," Jade replied. Jade swept her hand up and Tori crossed her arms. "Even Trina's managed to get herself up and find a job."

Tori rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Fast food. Minimum wage." Trina sighed. She enjoyed Subway, and she had to get income from somewhere. David looked on with disapproval, causing Tori to shrink into the couch.

"A job is a job no matter the kind," he assured. "A job will give you the experience and growth you need to succeed in the very real adult world, Tori." Trina raised her eyebrows and turned fully towards her father. Tori folded her arms over her stomach and pat her hands on the insides of her upper arms. "Singing in seedy bars for tips won't do that."

"Sure it will. It's a job, it's more than minimum wage."

"Barely," Jade muttered. "You may as well be singing at karaoke bars for free beer." It sounded as though Jade was starting to get tired of paying the way, though she couldn't help to wonder what triggered this.

David scratched at his chin and turned his eyes upwards, making eye contact with Trina. She flinched in surprise and ducked behind the wall nearby, poking her head out slightly. She didn't want them to know she was listening in on the conversation, though they might not care.

"You're my best friend," Jade stated simply. She folded her hands in her lap and shook her head. "I'm glad to have you as a roommate and help you out, especially after everything with Beck and that prostitute." Tori rolled her eyes once more and looked away. "God knows I still miss the hell out of him…"

Tori sucked her lips in, puffing the skin above and beneath her mouth, a classic sign of disgust. Her right hand seemed to flex and the veins bulged from her fingers.. "But I can't support you forever. I'm not asking you to give up on your career, but at least find a job. Bring something in."

"First of all." Tori poked a finger out and narrowed her eyes. "There's no sense in holding out for a man that cheated on you for a prostitute." Trina wanted to call out that Beck hadn't even cheated, but again she didn't want to start anything. She could see the sadness in Jade's eyes, clouded with disbelief, and she wondered if the girl thought for a second that maybe Beck _hadn't_ done anything.

From what she'd seen of him, she figured it was far too late to reconcile; and Jade probably didn't need to hear the best friend manipulated the situation in some way. Sure it was an innocent mistake by Tori, who thought Beck would have inevitably cheated, but her 'doing a favor' crossed a line.

"Second, isn't your father rich?"

"Yeah but he isn't going to support me forever, and he sure as hell isn't paying for my roommate for much longer. He doesn't want to." It could be that Mr. West saw Tori as freeloading, but there was no certainty of that. "So find a job. As long as both of us are paying rent we're fine."

David, still peering with only his eyes at the second floor, rubbed his index finger across his upper lip. "Perhaps you should be more like your sister in the way of showing initiative." Trina's jaw dropped and she did a double take with her stunned sister that likely stopped listening to anything after the word 'sister'.

" _Excuse me_?" Tori's hands moved to her hips and she sat upright. "And how should I 'be more like my sister'?" David shut his eyes and groaned. "She's working at a fucking minimum wage job!"

"But she's trying," Jade pointed out.

"Exactly." David nodded his head and breathed in slowly. "She doesn't seem to expect that she'll be there forever, she appears to be trying to earn income as she looks within her field."

Tori growled and crossed her arms. "She has a bachelor's degree. She graduated college, and she's working at a sandwich shop."

"I should remind you that it took me a long time before I became a police officer. A degree isn't a magic ticket. Especially in today's economy." He poked a finger at Tori and his eyebrows slid together. "You don't even have college on your belt."

"Says the father that constantly praised my choice of career."

"I never said I thought you shouldn't pursue college, but I decided to let you make your own choices. Favoritism never came into play." Trina bit her lip and shut her eyes. As much she wanted to listen on, she knew it was getting close to the time she needed to get to work.

This was difficult to hear either way.

Trina stepped back into view and started down the steps. The three glanced at her as she rounded the stairwell post like she had fire on her heels. "I've got to hurry so I'm not late to my third day." This might be the day she knew whether or not she would still be working.

So far, Sandra and Nancy seemed to like her, and Vincent hadn't any qualms with her. The only issue besides her own confidence was the apparent threatening glares from Beck-and she couldn't lodge a complaint against a _customer_ , especially since she felt like most corporations considered the customer only in the wrong zero percent of the time. Although threatening attitudes probably counted as something else.

She made it out the door so quickly that she didn't hear what her dad or sister said before leaving.

As she drove she tried to put the conversation out of her mind, but it was difficult. For the first time she saw Jade truly sad and losing control. She didn't want to push her best friend to the curb, but since losing the one person she ever truly loved, it was her best friend that offered any means of support or comfort.

It broke her heart to see it, and she wished that Jade could have seen past her own paranoia back when the shit hit the fan, but she'd been unable.

Pulling into the lot of office spaces, she passed the auto shop where some of their regulars came from. When she looked into the open garage, she saw Beck wiping greasy hands with a wash cloth.

He glanced up at her car and a frightful sensation chilled her to the bone. _"He works here?"_ An auto mechanic clearly, and now she knew just why he was one of the regulars there. His mouth bulged like Tori's had done earlier. Beck's shoulders and chest puffed up.

Ignoring him, Trina hurried on pulling her apron on and getting into work. The entire way she felt as though she was being followed, but not by him as the feeling came to her moments after leaving home-but seeing him there certainly didn't help.

Subway wasn't as busy on Saturday; there was hardly anyone sitting around when she entered. Vincent was ringing up some woman at the register. She had silver grey hair running just past her jawline, and a sun hat atop her head.

Vincent waved at her and she smiled back. "Here's hoping for another peaceful day of work," she said with a chuckle between words. They'd been joking about the things that had been going on lately, in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable as far as she could tell.

The moment those words left her mouth, they left a bitter taste in her mouth and she started to regret them.

She walked around to the back, then out on the line where she got her first glimpse of the woman's face. The woman's head was bowed and she was fidgeting with her wallet.

The woman had an incredibly youthful face with slight wrinkles that gave away her age. Her hands and fingers were bony, and her lips were thin. Trina's eyebrows lifted with surprise and she started to gasp out. "Grandma?"

"Oh no," she heard Vincent mutter. "Don't tell me." Trina's hands shook as the woman started to look up from the wallet. He looked over his shoulder and started to smirk. "Another one of your relatives?"

This was her paternal grandmother, Linda, but what was she doing here? Betty's lip twitched and she sucked her cheek in while glancing up and down Trina. "Well fancy seeing you here, Katrina." Trina smiled faintly and glanced at Vincent with an awkward expression.

"I _swear_ I'm going to tell people I know to stop with these random encounters Vincent." Vincent shrugged and she took a deep breath. "I promise, I have no idea what's going on."

"It's alright. We were just talking about you, actually." Vincent crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "Your grandmother is very…interesting in her opinions."

"My grandma hates me for whatever reason." Linda let out a nasally laugh and waved her hand through the air.

"Oh don't be silly sweetie." Linda's eyes dropped and the inflection in her voice fell low. "I've never said I hated you."

Trina turned towards the woman and opened her mouth, but hesitated when she saw her father walking up from outside. "Oh you have got to be kidding me…" She rolled her eyes and started to growl. "Grandma, this is my place of work."

The minute David stepped inside and saw the woman, every muscle in his body tensed and he raised his hands prayer style over his nose and mouth. "Whatever you do, don't start up," Trina warned Linda. "I want to keep this job, not lose it because people in my life can't stop causing problems."

"Oh darling I'm not in your life." Trina's eyes darted towards her father, and her chest grew tight. David ran his hand across the back of his neck and kept his head bowed, averting eye contact. "But it's nice to see you've taken to working at a place like this."

Vincent picked up the sandwich on the counter, placed the receipt on top and held it with his thumb while pushing it towards the woman. "It's been a pleasure serving you, ma'am, please enjoy your meal." He smiled, but his eyes were filled with annoyance.

"She's not going to be a problem, Vincent." Trina pressed her finger on the fingerprint scanner and hit the 'clock in' button. "Neither will anybody else. If drama starts, I'm telling my friends and family not to come here."

"I wouldn't go that far." Vincent walked towards the right and shrugged again. "Just tell them not to talk with you while you're working, or if you feel they're going to be an issue, go in the back and work on something while we deal with them."

"Okay." The front bell chimed again and when she looked up she saw Beck walking in. Her stomach churned and she began to heed Vincent's advice, but stopped when she saw a change in her father's demeanor that made her want to see what transpired.

All of a sudden David tightened his jaw and broadened his shoulders. His biceps bulged when he crossed his arms and his eyes narrowed onto Beck, making him appear a giant overshadowing the auto mechanic.

Beck caught the glare and the smugness on his face vanished, and his eyes flew away from Trina in an instant. "Nancy!" Vincent called out. "Your customer's in for a sandwich!"

"What?" Nancy walked out, her voice laced with confusion. The woman's eyes opened wide and her lips smacked together when she spotted Beck. "Oh. Him. Okay." Nancy ran her hands under the faucet in the sink and grabbed a pair of gloves while walking to the sandwich display. "What you like?"

Trina was intrigued and stunned by this change in Beck. He shuffled to the line with every part of his body slumped, and all the while David never took his eyes off the man.

Meanwhile Linda remained where she was, oozing with smugness. "What are you doing here?" David asked, though Trina wasn't sure who he was talking to. "To start something? If you are, I'm on the clock so get out of my daughter's workplace if you're planning to start something."

Trina watched her grandmother's eyes fall onto her son, causing the strength in the man to deplete all of a sudden. "Oh I'm not planning on starting anything dear." Linda started to place a hand on David's shoulder, but he flinched and moved away. His lips pulled back into a scowl, revealing his clenched teeth and painful anger in his eyes. "I was in the neighborhood, I didn't have any idea your child worked here."

"You can forget that," he said in a harsh and quiet tone. His hand clenched tight and started to tremble. "You and that boy there." Beck raised his head and glanced over as David pointed his direction. "I've got a bad feeling about him, but the both of you can stay the hell away from my daughter and her work. I'll have my men watching this place every day if I have to."

Linda smiled and tilted her head to the right, but the condescending look in her eyes never left. Trina felt a chill in her body and started to step backwards, contemplating whether she ought to hide in the freezer.

"Hey man." Beck raised his hands and shook his head. "I'm only here for a sandwich and nothing more, I've got no gripe with your daughter." Trina jerked her head back and scoffed. David's nostrils flared and his entire body seemed to rise. He looked ready to tear into Beck. Trina knew the guy was lying, and judging by her father, so did he-but nobody could prove anything because Beck had done nothing wrong aside from creepiness.

She felt sorry for Jade. The girl loved Beck with all her heart and still seemed to hold out hope, but her own paranoia overruled her concern for him and now it seemed much too late for her to ever get back with him.

At least, Beck was no longer the man he'd been so long ago.

Soon, customers were entering the shop and she needed to focus on them without allowing the three elephants in the room to stir up trouble. Even people from the martial arts studio were piling up, but all eyes were focused on the three in front of them.

"Okay." Trina took a deep breath and put on a strong face while moving back down the line. "Enough of this…"

She raised her voice, speaking with a tone of command that truly shocked her. "Grandma, Dad, and Beck." The three glanced at her, raising their eyebrows. "Unless the three of you are going to eat, I need you to respect this place. If you're going to fight, cause any drama or do anything besides having a meal, I'm going to have to ask you to _leave_."

Linda did a double take, gasping as she pushed her hand on her chest. "My lord, how you must talk to your own grandmother like that. The nerve." David flashed a smirk, and a look of pride lit up in his eyes.

"I mean no offence Grandma, but I have a job to do." Nancy and Vincent exchanged glances while Sandra walked out. Sandra leaned her left shoulder against the doorway frame and smirked with pride.

Trina pulled her hand to her chest and looked at the three. "My customers are first while I'm working, I can't have any drama here-I want to keep my job, not lose it because people I know can't stop showing up and making a scene."

Trina looked at Linda and pointed. "You've already gotten your sandwich Grandma, so feel free to have a seat and enjoy the food." She glanced at Beck, ignoring the sickening sensation in her stomach when she saw the bitterness and contempt on his face. "I don't know what your problem is with me Beck, and I'm sorry, but I work here now. There's no changing that."

He looked as though he wanted to say something, but with one glance from her father, he shrugged and moved on towards the register. "Eh whatever. I'll grab my sandwich and leave. We got a car in the shop demanding my attention." He didn't like not being in control or having power, she could tell because David's presence diminished him so.

David raised his hand and index finger, smiling openly. "I would actually like a sandwich."

"Great." Trina nodded and watched Vincent walk towards the sandwich case, motioning him over. "I hope you enjoy the meal dad." It was clear he followed her to work. Why, she wasn't sure of, but she had an inkling that it had to do with knowing Beck came here. "I'll be happy to make anyone else a sandwich, and to do the best of my ability."

She walked up to the sandwich container and flung her ponytail behind her shoulder. When she glanced up, she saw Jason with some of his students, watching with a certain inspired look in his eyes.

"Good of you to step up," Jason said, "You did the right thing. Need to let them know to respect when you're working and also to respect customers."

"Yeah. Didn't know I had that in me just now…" She exhaled and shook her head. Carefully she bit her lip and started to smile as she looked into his eyes. "Um, what would you like?"

Jason curved a finger over his lip and raised his eyebrows. "To talk with you sometime when you're not working?" Her cheeks burned and she started to lean towards him, stopping just to pull herself back and open the sandwich case.

"Sandwich? BMT?"

"Yeah." He pointed at the bread and flashed her a smile. "I'll have wheat. Footlong, double meat."

She put her focus on the sandwiches and nothing else for the time being, putting in the back of her mind that both her father and Beck were still in the restaurant-albeit opposite ends.

"Enjoy your meal," she said while handing a sandwich to another customer. "And have a wonderful day." The customer smiled back and nodded.

"You too!"

"It's a beautiful day out there, isn't it?" The woman looked out the window with a thoughtful hum and nodded again.

"It is. I'm actually on my way to the park, so I'll be enjoying this sandwich there." Trina burst with pride and started to ring up the next customer.

Once the line slowed, Sandra pulled her into the back. "Great job so far today," Sandra remarked. Trina pressed her index fingers together and chewed the corner of her lip, causing Sandra's brow to furrow. "What's the matter?"

"I'm nervous."

"About?"

"How am I doing?"

Sandra pat her shoulder and pointed at the schedule sheet on the bulletin board. "See that?" Trina held her breath and closed her eyes. "You come in tomorrow, then Monday, Tuesday…and continue to do so." Her eyes shot open and her heart nearly shot out of her chest.

"You mean you want me?"

"Yes. You're friendly with the customers, you seem to like working here, and you do a good job. Now, I would like to show you how to label the bins." Trina nodded rapidly and watched Sandra pull a label from a roll of labels hanging on the wall. "Write the name of the food item, the current day, use by date, then initial and time."

"How do I know how long the food lasts?"

"Here." Sandra pointed to a yellow laminated page taped to the wall of the cooler. It had a table on it with information pertaining to the length of time the veggies, meats, cheese, and other goods lasted. "Everything is here."

"Okay. Thank you."

"Now." Sandra smiled casually and motioned with her head towards the back wall. "You get off at three, maybe pay a visit to that guy you like?"

"What?" She stammered and pulled her hands to her face, feeling the heat burning into her hands. "I don't like him. I-he's just a customer. It's not like that." Sandra's eyelids fell halfway and her hands moved to her waist.

"Uh huh, okay. If you say so."

* * *

I hope you've been keeping track of everyone's expressions and overall demeanor. You can see a lot with everything-like the clear bitterness David harbors towards Linda and we don't know a great deal about Trina's grandmother yet. Here for the first time we see Trina stepping up, showing that drama cannot be happening when she's at work or clocked in. They seem able to at least abide by that, though Beck's still a bit spooky. Then Sandra essentially confirms that Trina's still going to be working there even after the 3-day training period. Some other stuff will happen, this isn't the only store she'll work at-and it's the other stores that aid in helping her to discover that little spark she just had may be something more. Thoughts? Thoughts on everything?


	7. Mistakes

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I'd like to clarify if there's any confusion: Trina in this story does not represent me in any way whatsoever, this story is inspired by experiences I've had while working at Subway. Some coworkers _are_ based on coworkers, some more than others, but each is unique in their own way.

There are some characters where there's only snippets of the muse behind it. For instance, I confess this: Jason is very, very loosely inspired by this attractive female customer that comes in once in a while. Probably nothing will happen with her, but she's cute and all but there are several major differences-such as she's not a martial artist or teacher, possibly not athletic, and I'm not interested in pursuing relationships at this time in my life.

A/N: ONE MORE THING—A guest decided to say characterization was crappy. I would like to point out one thing before pointing out the _obvious_ : It has been several years since the last episode of Victorious, which was before Tori's graduation. It's now 2016. Time and circumstances change people. No one is ever the same as they were five years or so before. Now the obvious, which has been mentioned in this story, around graduation a huge ass fight took place with Beck, Jade and the crew…Tori's become a bit more diva-like, yes, more self absorbed. Jade's more timid and lost after separating from Beck, someone she mentally relied on for several years. Beck has become much angrier, feeling like his entire world was taken from him. Things happened, things that _change people_. Thank you for realizing this and being open-minded.

* * *

Chapter 7 (Mistakes)

"I want you to take the trash out from the line and from the lobby." Sandra pointed out into the lobby, mildly packed with customers. It was the first time she was being tasked with a more complete and rounded workday task-since she could tell there was more to working at _Subway_ than making sandwiches and ringing up customers.

"Okay." The first thing she did was grab a roll of large white trash bags. She pulled one out, then yanked it apart from the seam. There were four trash cans altogether-minus the restrooms-the two in the lobby and the two at the start and end of the line.

There were also two trash cans in the back area, but these were large trashcans with wheels on them to be pulled out to the dumpster.

As she followed Sandra's instruction, Nancy stopped her just as she was putting a new trash bag in one of the two line cans. "Let me show you this." Nancy took a bag and Trina smiled as the woman crumpled two tufts of the plastic in her hands and proceeded to tie it into a knot. "Always tie and tighten to make the bag secure. Got it?"

"Yes." She attempted this on the second trash bag, but found herself struggling to maintain a hold of the edge. To improvise, she poked a hole through the bag and pulled it apart to tie the torn strips together.

Trina rushed out to the trash cans; the smaller one was beneath the soda fountain machine. The second, larger one, was in a standard fast food restaurant trash box stand. She took the smaller bag and placed it in the larger, then took the combined bags to the round trashcan in the back.

Nancy placed the line bags in the second trashcan for her, so she started rolling them out the door. Vincent met her as she opened the door and picked up a long metal bar. "Here, stand this against the door to hold it open while you're rolling those out to the dumpster."

She watched as he angled the bar against the now open door, pinning it to the outer brick wall. "Thanks Vincent." Vincent smiled and moved back inside. She took one fleeting glimpse at the inside as she lifted the cans off the curb and onto the parking lot. Sandra was washing dishes in the large metal sink, Nancy was walking some bins from the cooler to the line, and Vincent was also back on the line.

"I'm really liking this job," Trina said with a widening grin. She continued moving backwards, glancing over her shoulder once in a while to make sure she wasn't about to run into a car.

Her truck was parked next to Sandra's silver Honda Accord. As she moved towards the back, she passed a plumbing van, a garage door, and an unleased office space.

Just before rounding the corner, she took a look at the office space across from her. The _Subway_ was in Building B of the lot, and Building N housed Jason's martial arts studio.

She paused to admire the place; two glass doors faced her, and the rounded sign above them had simple black letters on red fabric that titled the dojo. It was called "Home of the Dragon", which was surprisingly ambiguous to her.

Catching herself gazing, she shook her head and continued around the corner. Several paces in front of her was a medium sized blue dumpster with the two black lids rotated off the top.

Jason was standing in front, dumping items from a trash bin. Her heart skipped a beat and she held onto her breath. He turned his head and her eyebrows rose into her forehead. "Oh Trina, taking out the trash?" Jason's serious expression fell into a smile as he lowered the bin to the ground.

"Yeah…" Trina moved towards him, glancing at her own trash bins. They were heavy enough after being stuffed with boxes and the trash bags, but she had no doubt she could empty them quickly. "You have trash to take out too?"

"Of course." Trina grabbed one of the trash bags from the larger, rounder bin and tossed it into the dumpster. "Some old worn out towels and uniforms from students decided to leave behind."

"Ah."

"Here." Jason grabbed the edges of the narrower bin. "Let me grab this one for you." Trina nodded and smiled graciously.

"Thanks." She watched him hoist the bin up effortlessly, then dump the bags out into the dumpster. As he did, she could see the muscles in his back tighten under his shirt, leaving a few ripples going towards his waist. "What else do you do besides teaching martial arts, or is that all you do in there?"

"Nah, I like to give my students pop quizzes from time to time." She nearly laughed, remembering how Tori and her friends would complain about Sikowitz giving random pop quizzes almost weekly.

Jason leaned against the dumpster, hanging his elbow and forearm over the corner. "Of course, doing that, I end up staying way late trying to grade them." He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "What about you? Have they got you working close yet?"

She shook her head. The closing shift made her nervous, because there was so much to do. "No." Her fingers curled over the trash bin and her body instinctively leaned towards Jason. The pitch in her voice rose and she spoke with a smile. "Sandra has this list of procedures taped to the board in the back. The closers have to do certain things each hour, but I'm still learning all the tasks, so…"

"I see." Jason moved his head towards her building and lowered his shoulders and chest. "I think they only have one person closing most days. Seems slow enough, but every time I've been there around closing, the closer has always complained."

"I wouldn't complain." His eyebrows rose and he glanced back with half a smile. "I enjoy the job. My sister thinks it's beneath me, but I need something with income."

He shook his head and lifted a hand up. "Nothing is beneath anyone. As long as you're taking initiative and trying to survive in this world, that's what matters."

"Yeah…"

"Anyway, I think I've kept you long enough. They're going to wonder what's taking you so long." Her eyes widened and she jerked back, turning her head over her shoulder with a gasp.

"Oh god, you're right! We'll talk another time, hopefully?"

"Sure." He shrugged. "It was good to have a chance to chat." Jason tucked a finger under his chin and looked towards his studio. "I'm still working till five today, how about you?"

"I get off at two."

"You should stop in sometime. Visit. I don't mind." He lowered his hand and look into her eyes. His gaze pulled her in, but she held her ground despite the urge to move towards him. "Have you ever been interested in learning martial arts?" Trina bit her lip and her eyes moved downwards.

"Um, I was involved several years ago."

"What happened?"

"Life." She shrugged, not wanting to get into it. "I used to be a big time athlete growing up." His eyebrows closed together and she could see the concern in his eyes, but he wasn't pressing the subject.

Mainly it was a lack of confidence that made her give up. All the years of bullying and attacks, she didn't think she was good at anything or that she'd be good enough for anybody, and gave up on any athletic dreams she may have had in the past.

Trina's hands tightened around the red handle of the narrower bin and she turned slowly. "I'm going to head back." She lifted her head and looked back at Jason with a hopeful smile. "But I might stop in after I get off. If that's…okay, I mean."

Jason swept his hand over the back of his neck and cast a nervous smile. "Sure, I think I'd enjoy the chat." He folded his arms and chuckled softly. "I need to get back myself; my students have had a long enough break." Trina looked at his studio and saw the students peering out from behind the glass doors. She laughed once and nodded.

"Oh yeah, definitely."

Making it back to the store, Sandra looked at the round trash bin and pointed. "Where are my wheels?" Sandra smirked playfully and Nancy took one look before laughing.

"What?"

"My wheels. Where are they?"

Trina shook her head, having trouble understanding Sandra's accent. She glanced at the trashcan and her eyes widened when she saw the bottom had been separated from the roller underneath.

She looked back outside and spotted the round roller sitting next to the wheel of her truck. "Oh god." She ran out, grabbed the roller, and hurried back inside. Sandra had a teasing smile and shook her head, causing Nancy to laugh again. Trina blushed and quickly placed the bin on the roller, twisting it to lock it in place.

"Won't happen again." She knew herself enough to know once she made a mistake, she didn't repeat it. This was one of those times she knew she could pay enough attention to catch the roller should it separate from the bin once again.

A few minutes later, Mandy came by to check on the store. She was both surprised and amazed to see her, and flocked to the woman probably more than she needed to. "Hey Mandy!" Mandy grinned from ear to ear and waved.

"Hi Trina!" The woman looked at a clipboard and snapped her fingers. "Oh! I just remembered, Sandra and I needed to talk to you about something." She frowned, her heart gripped by a new and sudden fear.

"Is it bad?"

Mandy waved her hand. "Oh it's nothing terrible, but we wanted you to watch out for this." She walked over to Mandy and looked at a sheet of paper on the table. Sandra walked up behind her, sighing once. "We're short sixty dollars."

Her blood ran cold and her hand rose over her mouth. She knew what that meant: There was less money than what the system was counting. "Oh god, what happened?"

"Relax," Sandra said. "You must be careful. Did you make any mistakes handling the money?" Mandy pat the paper with her hand and straightened herself.

"Right. Maybe you handed a customer an extra ten or twenty when handing change back? You must be very careful when counting the change, make sure you're counting it right." Vincent walked past them from behind, nodding as he overheard.

"People have been fired over being short," Vincent stated plainly. Trina bowed her head and closed her eyes.

Mandy put one hand to her hip and shook her head. Trina knew also that the amount of shortage would be taken from the paycheck. She didn't like it, but it was inevitable. "It's okay. I've checked and I think there's a transaction that can be voided. We'll take it down to twenty…"

"Wait." She raised her head and spoke quickly while patting her chest. "I'll take responsibility. If I made a mistake and I'm short, I'll pay for it." Mandy smiled once more and tapped the table once with her nails.

"It's okay Trina. I'm going to void a transaction and lower the amount off your first paycheck. You work hard for your money, and we want you to get paid, but just this once alright?" She held her breath and closed her eyes, feeling the sensation of water building up beneath her eyelids. "Just be careful, okay? Count your money and be sure you're handing them the right amount of change."

"Okay. I'll remember to be careful. I won't make that mistake again." She inhaled deep and cleared her throat. "I swear-I only make a mistake once."

"You're doing a great job, Trina." Her heart rose for a bit and the corners of her lips started to drift upwards. "Sandra says you're trying to learn the best you can, and eager to learn-"

"Can't grow without learning."

"Exactly!"

"You don't credit yourself enough," Sandra remarked. Trina looked up to her with a tilt of her head. "Don't be so afraid."

Vincent agreed. "They're right. We're a team, Trina. Any questions, ask. If you make any mistakes at all with the register, let Sandra know." Trina nodded and Vincent motioned to Trina. "We've all been there, we've all done it. You might hit the wrong amount of money tended, you might hand the wrong change, just tell Sandra and she'll try and fix it."

Sandra laughed once and wagged a finger at him. "Though I would prefer no mistakes, Vince." Vincent flashed a grin and stepped next to her, watching as Mandy and Sandra walked towards the register.

"So," he whispered, "I stepped outside to check on you and saw you talking to a certain someone…" His eyelids fell halfway and Trina's cheeks began to burn. "Have a pleasant talk?"

"Um…" She stammered and raised her hands up to her face. "I didn't, um, mean to take so long with the trash."

"It's okay."

"Do you think Miss Sandra noticed?"

"Yes. So did Nancy." He laughed and waved a hand in the air. "They care, but it's not a big deal. Just try to focus on work while you're on the clock, alright? They understand, you know Nancy's boyfriend visits from time to time, so it's fine as long as you're still being responsible."

"Oh yeah." She walked to the line with Vincent and looked at the table just next to the end of the line. Nancy's boyfriend, Alejandro, had been sitting there for a few hours. He was largely built, a similar build to Jason, had a dark buzz cut and round face with friendly eyes.

He'd been watching over them, for reasons Trina didn't know. She suspected it was because Nancy told him about the whole thing with Beck; he'd arrived shortly after Beck had been served.

It wasn't long until Trina was able to clock out and eat her sandwich. When she finished, she went straight for Jason's studio, eager to chat with him a little more.

She met him as he was talking to his class. She stepped out of the doorway, poking her head around briefly just in time to make eye contact with him. He smiled gently. "Alright guys," Jason said, "Take twenty to spar."

The class did as instructed and he walked towards her. Her heart started fluttering as she held his gaze. "Good to see you decided to stop by." He moved past her, then leaned against the wall. "How are things?"

"Not terrible, I guess." She crossed her arms and sighed. "I was the reason we were short, money-wise." Jason frowned and she swept her hand through her hair. "I can't figure out when I made the error, but I know I made a few mistakes…"

"You'll be okay though."

"Yeah, I guess." Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath. "I'm always tried to keep a focus on my mistakes so I don't do them again, so I'm going to try not to do that again."

"You're working the register, right? Handling money." She looked up at him. "You don't _need_ to rush. Count, double count, make sure there's not two stuck together between your fingers. Make sure you're giving the right amount. You're going to be just fine."

She rubbed her arm and released a heavy breath. "Thank you…" He was right, she knew it. Thankfully Sandra, Nancy, Vincent, and even Mandy seemed kind enough to allow for mistakes, but she still felt terrible when it came to them. "I'm going to get the hang of this, I will."

"You will."

"I'll be careful." Trina glanced at Jason with a curious glint in her eyes. "What about you? What happens when your students make mistakes?"

"Mistakes are what enable you to learn and grow." Jason's eyes sharpened and he raised his shoulder. "If they find an attacker, there's obviously little room for mistakes, but here where they're learning and being taught-you can't grow without it."

"I see."

"That applies anywhere, Trina."

"You're right…This was just my first mistake."

"You'll have others, but you know what?" She shrugged. "You'll learn. You'll grow. You'll _improve_." Her heart rose up and she nodded fervently. This wasn't the time to worry or give up, she'd be just fine. All she had to do was focus.

* * *

So what are your thoughts? Do tell.


	8. A Quiet Walk

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 8 (A Quiet Walk)

The sunset cast beautiful shades of orange and pink in the sky, and the trees created shadows at her feet while she and Jason walked down a grassy field nearby. "Sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" Jason smiled at her and she nodded quickly.

"Yeah, thanks for this." She was still in her work attire due to her staying to visit with him. She texted her father so he wouldn't worry, he texted back earlier that this was okay. He did at first ask who Jason was-since she mentioned being with a guy-but didn't ask anything more. His response to her questioning his lack of protectiveness was that she was old enough to spend time with a guy without his being overprotective.

Quite a change from her days in high school. "It's nice to get out and take a walk once in a while."

"Yeah, it is." She moved her forearms over her stomach and closed her eyes as a warm gust of wind brushed across her cheeks like a gentle caress. As it drifted away, she sighed and opened her eyes. "How was it we missed each other all those years ago? Maybe I just saw Tori's friends in the living room and decided not to go in there."

"Probably." A car sped by and Trina followed it with her gaze. "You talk about your sister and her friends like you don't like them much." The corners of her mouth moved back into her cheeks and she raised her head. "Actually the way it sounds, your entire teenage years were stressful."

"Something like that." She raised her right hand to her upper arm and took a deep breath. "In high school. Were you picked on at all?" He didn't seem like the kind of person to let bullies get to him, but anything was possible.

Jason shrugged and looked up at the setting son. "Not really. Insults, I'd let roll off my shoulders. I was the one no one messed with, or the person people were scared to mess with." She furrowed her brow and pursed her lips.

"Afraid?"

"Yeah." His voice fell quiet and he lowered his head. "I wasn't a bully myself, but I took care of my friends. If someone attacked a friend of mine, I'd go after them. Got into a lot of fights back then, but those days are gone."

"Oh…" She wanted to ask what he meant, but she didn't want to press for details. "I don't want to pry. I know we basically just met, so…but if there's anything you want to talk about." He smiled at her and waved his hand through the air.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." His shoulders rose and a breath of air separated his lips. "I got into the wrong crowd back then, so I've got a good deal of scars, but I got away from it all. Mostly thanks to my uncle."

"Mr. Sikowitz? He was a good man." She bowed her head and tucked the corner of her lip under her teeth. "Everyone looked up to him, even I did."

"There wasn't ever a reason not to." Jason chuckled once and curved his lips up. "I remember one time a friend of mine were trying to share this bicycle, arguing over whose turn it was…he suggested splitting it in two and giving each of us a unicycle made out of the bike." Trina smiled gently and her eyes squinted.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck and laughed again. "My friend didn't take him seriously, so he took us to this auto shop to have a friend of his split the bike in two…The man welded a pipe to the mangled mess and placed a seat on top."

"Crazy. You miss him?"

"From time to time." Sikowitz passed away about four years ago from a brain tumor. It was a difficult time for everyone, seeing their once strong mentor frail and bedridden. "You?"

"Yeah." Her eyelids closed down, sealing away the moisture filling within. "My sister and her friends, they've been through a lot of fights, and he was always the reason they got through it all. They could turn to him and use his wisdom. Sometimes I wonder, if he were still around, could he have saved them from the thing that destroyed them that one last time?"

"Who knows. It sounds like things got so rough that he might just not have been able to fix that one."

"Not sure anyone could fix it, and now it's just too late." She kicked a small rock out of her path and held her wrists together behind her waist. "Tori just got a big head and desperate around graduation. She also got tired of me, I think."

"Why?"

"Dad kicked her out." Trina ran her hand down the side of her neck and shoulder, then dropped it beside her waist. Jason's lips pursed and his eyebrows rose. "She thinks all of a sudden I'm his favorite because he kicked her out for deciding not to go to college and focusing on a singing career."

"That's a little harsh."

"Yeah, it was. After that, she couldn't find anyone, and Jade said she couldn't help because she was going to move in with Beck."

"Which never happened?"

"No, because he was helping a friend from school to escape this life on the streets-Tori took a photo and twisted the truth. Out of desperation. To make it look like he was cheating…Jade broke up with him and said she was going to find her own place, allowing Tori to become her roommate."

"Damn." Jason shook his head and whistled. "At least his heart was in the right place then. Street life is terrible."

"Yeah." Something crumpled around her feet, and when she looked down, she saw a newspaper. It was a current edition, and on the front were pictures of three young girls with long brown hair and vaguely familiar faces. "Hey look." She picked up the paper and Jason leaned over, smacking his lips once.

Los Angeles had a killer going around for the last couple of years, which she only knew about through her father. "Third girl goes missing, they're thinking they have a serial killer going around."

"You worried at all?"

"No. Dad says it's mostly around the very north of LA, and we're all the way down south. I'm also not really worried about crime in general, I think I can handle myself well enough being in the criminal justice field."

The victims were girls around her and her sister's ages, same general appearance, but she felt there was little to be concerned about. Jason took the paper and started reading aloud. "Victims found with some kind of cloth-towel or shirt-wrapped around their head…" His forehead tensed and he stopped for a moment, shaking his head. "God, this guy is sick."

"Or girl. Dad always said girls are just as likely to be killers as guys." Though in this case, the victims had been sexually assaulted before being cut up with what investigators thought was a pocketknife. "Might be a guy in this case, seminal fluid was found on the first victim."

She pulled the paper away and tossed it back on the ground. "Let's go back to enjoying our walk." Jason nodded and picked up the paper only to throw it in a nearby trashcan. She smiled gently, despite the embarrassed blush. "Okay, should have seen that there."

"Easy mistake." They started walking and Trina glanced down to watch her feet kick forward. "You know. First job I took was as a bouncer." She jerked her head up and looked to him with her mouth agape. "If your major is criminal justice, you could probably work as a bouncer or a security guard somewhere."

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Look at me." She laughed and swept her hair over her shoulder. "I couldn't intimidate a rabbit. I'm not exactly tough."

"Anyone can be tough, surely you could too." He was right, and how long could she continue blaming Tori and her friends for her lack of confidence before she moved on?

"I guess I just don't have it in me anymore."

"I don't know…I saw some assertiveness in you earlier when you told your family to step down while you were at work. You might have it in you."

"Maybe." She smiled gently and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess I just haven't seen that assertiveness in a while."

"You're tougher than you realize." He curled a finger under his chin and looked to her with a slight smile. "I have a feeling if you hadn't been picked on so much by your own family, you would have been able to take more punches."

"Maybe." It certainly wasn't a skill she was adept at. "Or maybe I majored in the wrong thing."

"Well why did you choose criminal justice?"

"Because I enjoy it. It's a passion. I've always wanted to be a forensic pathologist and stuff, I admire police officers-and that has little to do with my dad; less than you might think."

"Then find something in there you want to do. What have you considered?"

"Probation officer…I don't really know what there is that I can do." She ran her hand over her neck and took a deep breath. "I have to start somewhere, I guess."

"You'll find something. You seem like an intelligent person, willing to work and you know about where you want to be. What's not to like?" Her heart skipped a beat and her lips grew to a wide grin. "Just don't give up, alright? Don't settle either. I know you said you're thrilled to be working at Subway, but don't forget what your goal is."

"I'll try not to."

He walked her back to her car, standing outside as she got in and closed the door. She rolled the window down and waved at him. "Thanks for the walk and the talk, Jason. It was nice."

He smiled back. "I'm glad. We should do that again, it was nice getting to know you."

"You too." She did wonder what was in his past, since he mentioned having had a rough time at some point. Perhaps it was a conversation for another time. She leaned her head to the right, humming for a second before flashing a toothy grin. "Maybe you can buy me a drink sometime?"

Jason raised his eyebrows and smiled back at her. "Maybe. Would you like that?" She tapped her chin and hummed.

"I just might." She hoped that she wasn't coming across too strong, but he seemed to be just as interested in her as she was of him, so hopefully they could have the opportunity to get to know each other some more. She bit her lip and glanced at her steering wheel. "I mean, I don't know if you'd rather that be a friendly drink or something else…"

Jason leaned forward, folding his arms on the door. "I don't know. It's been a long time since I considered asking anyone on a date, but…" Her heart jumped up and she held her breath while looking into his eyes. "I want to get to know you a little more. So, maybe…"

"I haven't been on a date in a long time. I kind of gave up after Tori's friends had their last little prank or whatever."

"Well." Jason smiled at her and ran his hand through his hair. "I'd only ask you out because I'm genuinely interested." She leaned towards him and glanced off to the side.

"I think I'd like to give it a shot." She curled her fingers over the steering wheel and bit down harder on her lip. "Would you want to give it a shot?" She closed her eyes, feeling the nervous streak through her heart.

Jason leaned back slowly and inhaled. "I think I'd be willing to give the whole dating thing another try." She rolled her head to the right and gave him a look of concern. He let out an exhale and raised his hand up. "Haven't dated in almost a decade, last girl I dated was a psychopath in every way."

"Oh." She chuckled softly and set a hand on his. "I promise I'm not a psychopath." She flashed a smirk and watched his cheeks turn red. "I like to go to this restaurant… _World of Beer_ …once in a while. They've got good food. Maybe we could just go there, have some food and a drink?"

Jason leaned in, closing his eyebrows together. "You off this coming Friday or Saturday?"

"Friday evening, I think. I'm free."

"So…"

"It's a date?"

"Sure. I'll pick you up?"

"Please." She smiled back at him and tightened her hand around his for a second before pulling away to grab her phone. "Let me give you my number, I'll text you." They ran through the exchanging of numbers and she was ready to head home. "Thanks again for the walk, I enjoyed it."

"Sure, anytime." He smiled back at her and took a few steps back so she could start reversing. She felt great, happier than she'd been in a long time, so she was eager to get home and see what could happen next.

* * *

So what are your thoughts? Trina may have a first date in a long time, so that's good. Seems they had a good walk too.


	9. Drama and Concerns

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 9 (Drama and Concerns)

* * *

Her coworkers could tell the next day that she was light on her feet, and while they said nothing, Trina was sure they knew what she was happy about. At the same time, she was nervous. She swore off dating, but what was the harm in one date? She didn't know if anything would come of it or not, but she was looking forward to it.

Her family didn't know yet, she didn't know how to tell them. They probably wouldn't care, and at the very least, Tori may try to do or say something to diminish it all.

"Took my advice, I see." Sandra winked, causing Trina to blush redder than the tomatoes the woman was slicing. She knew what Sandra meant, though she didn't want to admit it. "Saw you at that martial arts place."

"Yeah. We went for a walk, talked about a bunch of stuff and decided to go on a date." Sandra's lit up like she wanted details, but she didn't say anything more.

"That's nice. When is it?"

"This weekend. I haven't been on a date in so long. To be honest, I'm reluctant and a little nervous." She looked to Nancy standing nearby with a tray of bread next to a tray of seasoning. "Preparing more bread for the roller, Miss Nancy?"

"Yes," Nancy replied. Trina walked over, watching with intrigue as the woman rolled the sticks of dough in the seasonings and stretched them to fit the trays, leaving the edges just at the ends of the liner. "Oh." Nancy paused and looked up with a smile. "Tell us how that date goes."

She heard Vincent chuckle from behind and twisted around suddenly. "Please do, I'm looking forward to hearing how that goes." He smirked and walked past her. "I wonder if this means the flirting will stop or get worse now."

Nancy and Sandra laughed. Trina raised her eyes to the television screen showing the camera over the line. She was relieved to see someone walking up. "Customer! I'll get this one." She rushed by Vincent and hurried down the line. "Welcome to Subway!"

Her heart stopped when she saw Jade standing at the bread display case. She had a dark blazer on and a purse strap that she clutched over her shoulder while looking at the breads.

Jade leaned upright and smiled politely. "Hey Trina. How's work?"

"Fine." Trina pulled the gloves on her hand and watched the girl closely. She was suspicious of her, but didn't want to start anything. "What sandwich are you thinking about, and what bread?" Jade looked up at the menu, tapping her lower lip.

"Maybe just ham and turkey on Italian Herb and Cheese bread. Can you do a footlong?"

"Sure." She grabbed the bread and began cutting, still watching the girl while keeping her head down. Jade was looking around the store with nervous eyes. "So what brings you here? Where's Tori?"

"Tori?" Jade blinked and glanced back. "She's gone to some pool party being thrown by someone she met at this karaoke bar." Trina raised an eyebrow and slid the bread knife carefully down the middle. Jade was still looking around. "So um." Jade hooked her finger over her lip and frowned. "I heard through the grapevine that Beck comes here a lot…"

"Sure." Trina opened the bread and grabbed the ham first. It was surprising to see Jade looking around for the man, but she was torn as to whether or not to help her out. "There's something about Beck you should know, though…"

"I want to see him." Jade bit her lip and folded her fingers over her purse. "I miss him." Trina tightened her lips together and her eyes drifted to the door and windows where she saw Beck walking down the sidewalk. Her heart stopped and the ham fell from her hands.

"Jade, I don't think-" There was nothing she could do if he walked in right now. Maybe he'd avoid her, maybe Jade wouldn't actually talk to him, but she knew a confrontation was the last thing she needed.

At the tables nearby sat Nancy's boyfriend. She shot a worried glance to him and he nodded his head just as Beck entered the store.

Jade started to turn, but Trina called out, grabbing her attention. "Would you like any cheese, and will you have it toasted?" Jade loosened her grip on her purse strap and leaned forward, studying the cheese options.

Beck stood in the doorway, his ferocious glare burned the back of Jade's head. "I'll have American, but not toasted." Trina pushed the bread down the line and motioned to the veggies. "Any veggies?"

"Hmm…Lettuce and tomatoes, then a dash of creamy Siracha." Trina happily obliged and moved to the register, happy that Jade hadn't turned back around.

Nancy's boyfriend started to stand up, holding his hands in front of his waist and staring at Beck with a watchful gaze. Beck crossed his arms and started moving towards the bread display.

Trina rang Jade up and watched out the corner of her eyes as Nancy's boyfriend walked around and stood next to Beck, blocking the man from Jade's view. For a moment, Trina thought this would work, but the moment Jade stepped away she heard Beck's voice and almost collapsed to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" He sneered. Jade's eyes grew large and she turned around with a gasp.

"Beck! Oh Beck, I've wanted to see you!" Jade started for him, slowing her pace as she approached. Beck was still glaring and didn't appear eager to talk to her. "Beck?"

"What makes you think I want to see you?" Jade flinched and stepped back once. She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I get it. I know we've broken, but Beck…I just-I've missed you."

"I don't care." Jade's grip on the sandwich bag loosened, then tightened. Her forehead wrinkled and her lower lip started to pout. "It's been nearly five years. We broke up because you're a jealous, paranoid bitch who couldn't see someone _clearly_ taking advantage of you and your father's money." Jade started to pale as Beck slid his fingers through his hair. "Honestly I could do better."

"No…I mean, I've been thinking you might have been right." Jade swallowed hard and her eyes started to well up with tears. "I-I've been thinking maybe that girl was just a friend you were helping out. How is she?"

"Dead." Beck shrugged and Trina jerked her head back. "Because of you, she felt guilty and said she didn't want me to help her. She went back to the life, was raped and murdered by the next guy that solicited her for sex." Trina cupped her hands over her face and watched as Jade stumbled backwards, nearly falling over herself.

"I-I never meant-" Beck spun around and approached Jade, his lip twitched as his dark eyes poisoned her. "Beck?" Her voice grew small and weak as he shadowed her-showing Trina fear in the girl for the first time. "Beck, you're scaring me."

"You never meant to do anything, but you never knew how you affected people. So do I care that you 'miss' me or that you think I was right back then? No."

"Beck I'm sorry."

"It's too late."

"I'm sorry."

"Fuck." He moved closer to her, growling from deep within and gritting his teeth. "You." Nancy and Sandra stepped out to the line and Trina held her breath, watching as Nancy's boyfriend moved towards Beck and Jade. "Bitch."

Nancy's boyfriend placed a hand on Beck's shoulder, causing the man to stop and turn. Tears ran down Jade's cheeks and Trina could see the girl's entire body tremble for a second before she bolted for the door.

"That's enough," The man said to Jade, "Are you going to have a sandwich?" Beck pulled away with a grunt. His nostrils flared and his eyes seemed to darken.

"Don't touch me." Beck approached the bread display case and Nancy walked up in front of him. He crossed his arms rolled his head slowly to the right. "Flatbread. Footlong. Chicken Teriyaki. American cheese and toasted."

Nancy feigned a smile and nodded as she prepared the sandwich as fast as she could. Everyone worked to get him out as fast as they could and before any other customers came in to make him feel uncomfortable.

After her shift was over, Trina raced home hoping to find her sister and Jade, but instead she found her father waiting in the living room. "How was work?" Trina fell onto the recliner and dropped her hands loudly on the arms.

"Fine as far as work goes. Jade came by though, then Beck. It got a bit volatile." David shot up and raised his eyebrows.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Well it wasn't directed at me." Trina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Jade was trying to say she forgave him, I think. I think she wanted him back. He um…he clearly didn't want her back."

"Oh." David waved his hand through the air and looked away. "Tori cares about Jade and truly values her friendship, but she _is_ using the girl's money. Beck saw that before anyone, so it makes sense he wouldn't want to get back with her for not trusting him."

"It was something more than that. He's bitterly angry. His friend? The one he was helping? She was murdered…" David raised his hand to his chin and his eyebrows drifted upwards.

"Murdered?"

"Yeah. She turned down Beck's help realizing she was the reason for the breakup, went back to the life, and some guy killed her." Trina swept her hand through her hair and closed her eyes. "I don't know what to make of this, but the drama is really getting out of hand. It needs to stop-and it needs to stop happening at my work."

"If you want, I could have some of my officers go there."

"No, I don't think that's necessary." She didn't need that kind of event happening because of her or anyone else. Though her father's sudden concern for her wellbeing hadn't gone unnoticed, but she didn't know how to ask about it.

His eyes bore a worried look, his eyebrows were glued together and the corners of his mouth had sunk into his chin. "Dad?" He clasped his hands together and his eyebrows pulled apart. "You've never paid much mind to me." She sniffed once and shook her head. "You've always kind of pulled away-and now all of a sudden you've been protective. You've been-I don't know-it's concerning."

"You're my daughter."

"A daughter that you 'joke' about leaving behind in Yerba." She pointed to him and he started to sulk. "A daughter that, when I was being manhandled by Beck, Andre and Robbie, you called me crazy and asked that I move far away for college-believing them when they pulled out a bunch of puppets." He bowed his head and Trina dropped her hand to her waist. "Considering how Beck's been acting lately…I don't know…is it guilt or something?"

"I've always cared about you, I just…" David ran his hand over the back of his neck and started to sigh. "I never knew how to show it and I'm sorry. I-I've been afraid."

She raised her hands and leaned back. "Of what? What would you be so afraid of that you can't even say you love me? I don't know if I've ever heard that come out of your mouth-that, or that you were proud of me."

"I _am_." He leaned forward and pat his chest. "I love you very much and I am very proud of you. I haven't shown that, and I'm sorry…" He clicked his tongue and glanced off to the right. "As for what it is I was afraid of all these years, I don't know how to say it. I don't even know where in the fuck to begin."

She jerked back, astonished to hear him curse-something he didn't do often at all. "What is it?" She reached over, placing her hand on his knee, only to have him pull his leg away from her. Trina's lips pursed and a wrinkle popped up between her eyebrows. "Dad?"

"Sorry." His voice was raspy and his eyes were misty. "You know why I've never let you go see your grandmother-why your grandfather never _wanted_ you around?" His palms started to sweat and his eyes fell to the floor. Trina shook her head slowly, thinking back to the other day.

"You weren't too happy grandma was at that store."

"She has no right to be near you." There was anger in his voice, though light. It was startling to hear, even more so to see his muscles tighten. He clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "That woman should be in prison, but she's not."

"Dad?" Her heart started to sink as tendrils of fear rose to claim it. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear this, nor did she know what her father was implying or saying-it wasn't good. "Maybe now's not the best time?"

"There will never be a good time." David raised himself up, exhaling sharply. "But I will tell you. One day. When we're both ready. You deserve the truth." He looked into her eyes and the corners of his mouth sank back into his cheeks. "If nothing else, the truth. Just…stay away from her, okay? I mean it. If she goes to your store again-god forbid-have someone else serve her and go to the back."

"I-I will. I guess."

David's hand moved over hers and he squeezed it gently. A weak smile formed on his face and a sad look flashed in his eyes. "I love you, I always have, even if I've been afraid of some things…I never should have let that interfere. You're my daughter, and I will always care about you."

Tears welled up in her eyes and her chest expanded. "I love you too, Dad." David sniffed and looked up to the door.

"Now. About this boy. Tell me…The two of you had a long walk. How'd it go?"

"It went okay." She pulled her hand from his and gently rubbed her arm. "We um…" She bit her lip and moved her eyes upwards towards him. "We talked about going on a date. So…we're going on a date." David's eyes lit up and his smile grew.

"Great! Does he seem to be a good man?"

"Yes." She smiled back at him and he started to nod. "Is it okay?"

"You're twenty-three, you don't need my permission." David breathed in deep and his eyes glistened in the light. "You have fun on that date." He paused, flicking out an index finger and a smirk. "But not _too much_ fun." Trina laughed.

"Don't worry, I know how to handle myself and Jason doesn't seem the type to take it too far."

"So he's respectable. Good. Good."

* * *

So what are you thinking? Jade's finally seen Beck in the way he is, a way she's never seen him. That has to hurt. Then there's David. What do you think happened with Linda that causes all this in him? Surely you have thoughts?


	10. Coworkers: It Begins

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 10 (Coworkers: It Begins)

Sandra pulled Trina aside as she was getting some more prepared veggies from the back. "Trina, can you do me a favor?" She nodded swiftly, eager to help out. Sandra had her phone in hand and was looking at it with a furrowed brow. "Maddie needs some help this afternoon, until four. Can you do that?"

Her eyebrows rose and she felt her heart skip-an opportunity to help another store was ideal, though she wasn't too keen on working more hours. It was necessary as she could make more money. "Of course-but what about here? I'm on until two, right?"

"Yes. You eat your lunch and then go there to help." She smiled openly and looked at the walkway. This was a great chance to build report. It was also something to help show that she was and could be dependable. .L. that she was and could be dependable. "It's your choice though."

"I'll do it." She'd send a text to her dad to let him know, since lately he'd been worrying more than he ought to. It also gave her some time to not worry about anyone she knew causing drama like they were. "Where is it?"

"Straight down the street, on the right side. Turn out of our lot, take a right and after a mile you'll see it." Sandra smiled gently. "Thank you."

At the end of her shift, Cat was waiting for her at one of the tables to the left of the doors. Trina went around to get her sandwich first from an employee that she hadn't personally met before: Anton.

He was a teenager from the looks of it, slouching over the display case and staring back with tired eyes. "Can I get a BMT please? Wheat." Anton nodded and walked slowly to the case. Trina pursed her lips and watched him prepare the sandwich.

Once he got the meats on he rolled his eyes upwards towards her and poked a thumb to the toaster. "Would you like it toasted?" She nodded and watched him push the black tray in the toaster, pulling out the metal plate and flipping it in his hand as the timer went down.

Eventually they reached the register where she asked for the employee meal ticket. He waved his hand and spoke with a quiet drawl. "You don't need one." She jerked her head back, skeptical and unsure.

"I don't know, I'd rather not risk not filling one out."

"You don't need it." He didn't appear as though he was going to get one, so she took her sandwich and hurried over to Cat. The girl was leaning against her hand and rolling her eyes.

"That guy up there seems bored," Cat remarked. Trina chuckled softly.

"That's Anton. I haven't seen him before." Cat whistled and quickly grabbed one of Trina's three double chocolate chip cookies. She swat playfully at her friend's hand and smiled as Cat devoured the cookie.

"Can't help myself. I see chocolate, I'm eating it." Cat's eyes lit up and her smile grew wide. "Anyway! Are we on for the movie tonight? I've been wanting to see this thing forever."

"Of course. I'm helping another store though, until Four." Cat raised her eyebrows and dropped her hands to the table.

"Really? Trina, that's amazing!"

"I know. I really feel like they like me here."

"Seems like they value you at least." Cat flung her hair back and sat upright. "I mean they've been ignoring the drama getting stirred up by Beck and your family, and now they're asking you to help another store for a bit? They _definitely_ like you."

Her heart rose high into her chest and she gazed out the window hopefully. "Yeah…" She bit into her sandwich, chewing slowly until Cat started to shake her arm.

"Tell me about Jason." Trina's face turned red and she stared down at her sandwich with nervous hunger. "You told me you were going on a date with him-you're going to give me details, right?"

"Well…"

" _Ri-ight_?" Cat leaned in, wagging her eyebrows and smirking. Trina moved back, laughing aloud for a brisk moment. "I mean seriously, you can't go on a date and expect your best friend not to want deets."

"Okay, okay." Her laughter subsided and she carefully placed the sandwich back on the wrapping paper. "If anything interesting happens, you'll be the first to know."

"Yeah, I'm just proud of you for finally deciding to date again." Cat tilted her head and hummed. "How long has it been?"

"A few years."

"What made you decide?"

Trina shrugged. It just happened that way for her, she didn't have any 'come-to-jesus' moment about it. "It wasn't like I had an epiphany or anything. I just…he seems like a great guy." She rolled her head to the right and bit down on her lip. "Different, I guess. He's different than some of the guys I've dated in the past, and this time it isn't like Tori or any of the others can influence or affect him."

Cat snapped her fingers and pointed out. "True…I remember that last guy you went out with. The guys convinced him you weren't worth dating, then he asked out your sister." Trina narrowed her eyes and frowned at the redhead.

"Thanks for the reminder." Cat flinched and cupped her hand over her mouth.

"Sorry." The redhead rolled her eyes and blew out a sharp breath of air. "I wasn't a part of that, it annoyed me then and it annoys me now. They took their dislike of you too far." Cat stretched her arms out and flexed her fingers. "But enough of that. Good luck helping out that other store."

"Thanks. It's only for an hour to two, if you want to wait around we could hang afterwards."

Cat took another one of Trina's cookies, broke it in half and tossed one half into her mouth. "We'll see." Cat chewed fast, then smirked as she swallowed. "Or you could pay a visit to your future hot-blooded lover." Trina rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Mature." She flashed a smile and sipped her drink. Cat shrugged and wagged her eyebrows.

"I have my moments."

She popped the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth and leaned forward, folding her wrists before her. "You said you once tried to date him…how'd that work out? I know he said he hasn't dated for real in years."

"Yeah it was just that one night." Cat shrugged and cast a bored glance at Anton while talking in a tone of nonchalance. "I dragged him over to Tori's, but he was uncomfortable the entire time. I know I made him uncomfortable with my constantly clinging to him."

"Oh?" She furrowed her brow and pouted her lower lip. She wasn't worried about clinginess, but hoped she wouldn't come across that way. "How were you clingy? You didn't like try and guess future lives did you?"

Cat's eyes popped out and she laughed. "Oh god not like that." Trina nodded and watched her friend wave. "I mean I latched onto him and never let go, from the moment we left Sikowitz's."

"Ah, I got it. I hope I don't come across clingy." Cat's lips pursed and she shook her head.

"You don't seem it."

"Not anymore, anyway…"

"Yeah. You're more grounded, whether or not that's because of shyness or your anxieties, or because you've grown…that's to be seen."

She'd changed, that much was true. Shyness and anxiety was certainly the cause, and she despised it. "I um…I am nervous." She swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. "I guess I need to get over it."

"No." Cat smacked her lips and stood up, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "Never say that to yourself, and never let anyone tell you to just 'get over it'." Trina mustered up a tiny smile and stood from her chair. "You were picked on by everyone, you were left alone by your parents and your sister-you were hurt. You shouldn't ever dwell on that or let it keep you down, but it is impossible to ever just 'get over it'."

"How do I _not_ focus on it?"

"Just don't." She walked out the door with Cat, waving at Sandra and Nancy. They moved to her truck and she leaned back against it. "What I do when I find myself struggling with dark thoughts is I recognize the triggers, I recognize when they come, and I try my best to concentrate on something else."

"Does that work?"

"Sometimes it's hard. When you realize you can't do anything about the past, and focusing on what hurt you does nothing but damage you more, then you learn you have to change that. Being positive is always essential. Then when you can't be positive, you have friends to call on." Trina smiled more as her heart skipped a beat. Cat snapped her fingers and clicked her tongue against her cheek. "If you can't talk to me, you seem to have good coworkers, then there's _Jason_."

"Well Jason is…we haven't really gotten _that_ deep, Cat."

"But you will." She sighed and shook her head at the girl while moving into her truck. "See you in a bit."

When she made it to the other location, she saw a tall dark skinned girl with her black hair tucked under her hat. The girl looked up from the cash register and Trina could see relief flowing away from her.

"Oh good, you made it."

"I hope I'm not late."

"Don't worry about that." The girl motioned to the door. "Code's 6-7-9. I'm Jess, by the way." Trina hurried in through the back, taking a notice of the restaurant.

The layout was almost diamond shaped, the back was a bit smaller and not as clean looking as Sandra's store. The line was also much different-with the meats and veggies almost reversed.

Even the toaster looked different. "Oh wow this is a change." Jess laughed and waved her over. "So where's Maddie?"

"She isn't here at the moment. I get off at four and the guy showing up isn't coming in until then. I also have a bunch of stuff to take care of, so let's get you in our system here…"

The register was different as well; instead of being a computer with an external fingerprint scanner plugged in, this one had one attached on the side as a part of it.

She went to put her finger up, but stopped when she noticed some tape. "Why is there tape?" Jess removed the tape quickly.

"Sometimes it gets dirty and we can't scan in, so we press the tape down on the scanner to pull off any dirt and stuff."

"Strange."

"Yeah."

They tried to register her, but for some reason she wasn't able to sign in. After ten minutes of trying, Jess gave up and said she'd let Sandra know so she could at least get paid. "I'll have to ring customers up, so don't worry about it." Trina tightened her lips together and nodded.

"Okay." She tried getting used to the line, and to the back, but it didn't feel at all like the store she considered home. She also didn't like being in a shopping square corner next to the freeway.

Customers came and went, surprisingly not as many as she was anticipating. Jess was hard at work stocking chips and sweeping the lobby. She was nice to work with and friendly.

The woman was in her twenties as well, which was a comfort-since she was slightly insecure working at a fast food restaurant where high school students tended to work. So having people like Jess, Nancy, and Sandra was a huge comfort.

Throughout the week, she helped more frequently with Maggie's store, taking great pride in being able to do so. It wasn't often, so she didn't feel like she was taking time away from her primary store, but it was Sandra that asked her to.

One day during that week, there was a strange older Indian man in the back talking to Sandra while Vincent was crushing boxes. She didn't know who he was, but was caught off guard when she brought the trash bins in after taking them out to the dumpster.

"Sandra is a good person," he said while rubbing his chin. Sandra was smiling brightly and looking up at the ceiling. "You listen to her and do what she says?"

"Yes." Trina nodded and started pushing the trash bin to it's usual spot. "Always. I like learning from her."

"Good. Keep it up and you definitely can stay." She raised an eyebrow and nodded once more, thinking that this man might be Mr. Shay himself, but she wasn't sure. He left and Sandra instructed her to go ahead and do the dishes.

Her first time doing the dishes, and it took forever because of the stack. She worked longer than she was supposed to be clocked out, so she was afraid of what might happen.t wasn't until the next morning she got the greatest shock of all. Vincent's name had been crossed off the employee hours roster. Sandra and Nancy were behind her. "Have some bad news," Sandra said calmly. "Vincent no with us anymore." Trina's jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide.

"Aw, he was your friend," Nancy remarked with a smile. Her heart started to sink and she looked towards Sandra for an answer.

"What happened?" She stuttered.

"He was fired." Sandra closed her eyes and shook her head. Trina was terrified it was something serious, because he was a much more seasoned worker than she was. "The owner saw him watching videos while working and fired him." Her knees started to buckle. She held her breath and closed her eyes.

"Oh god."

"That said…" Sandra approached her and she looked up into her eyes. "Can you work until five for me today? I know you were planning to work until two…"

Her first date with Jason was also tonight, but fortunately it wasn't until later. "If you need me, I'd be happy to." It hurt, but it was the best thing that could happen. Sandra smiled and took a deep breath.

"Thank you. I cannot find anyone else right now, so I appreciate it."

"Of course. I'm happy to work." She wished Vincent the best of luck, but she wouldn't mourn now, since it was time to get to work. This was going to be an interesting week, since she'd never seen an employee termination before. She was just surprised she lasted this long, but she was also frightened-even if that fear was only slight. She didn't want to be the next to lose her job.

* * *

Well, what are your thougths and observations?


	11. First Date

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 11 (First Date)

"What about this one ?" Trina spun away from her closet, holding a red dress with a heart shaped hole just beneath the neckline. She held the waist to her waist and started to smile.

Cat hardly looked up, throwing her hand into the air. "Nope." Trina lowered the dress and frowned at her friend. "Come on Trina. Your first date is at a _bar-_ "

"Bar slash restaurant…" Her lower lip pouted and Cat smirked. The girl's eyelids fell halfway and she shook her head.

"It's a bar." Cat's eyebrow rose and hastily she grabbed away Trina's dress. "Odd place for a first date, and you said you suggested it?" She answered with a positive hum and returned to her closet. "Well, I suppose nothing intrigues a man more than a girl that has a beer once in a while."

Trina shrugged. "I guess." It wasn't as though she drank often. It was once every couple of weeks or so that she drank, or times when she would go to a nice restaurant and order a glass of wine or beer with her meal. "What's wrong with a girl that likes alcohol?"

"Nothing." Cat hung the dress up on the rack and lowered her hands to her waist. "Not every day we come across that."

"There are _plenty_ of women that drink." She grabbed one of her nicest shirts. The shirt was purple with short, rolled sleeves, and buttons that ran up to a folded collar. "How's this?" Cat glanced over and nodded her approval before grabbing a pair of jeans to go with the outfit.

"Wear this with that, and keep open the first two buttons _at least_." Trina's eyebrow rose and she pulled the shirt up to her chest, glancing down with a nervous chuckle. "We'll have to fix your hair, make it shine and style it up just a bit."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Her heart fluttered as she imagined the kind of reaction she might get, though it was good to loosen up. "We'll put some perfume on and make you all sexy for your date. Accentuate all your features."

"I'd like to think the personality's more attractive than looks."

"It is, but physical attraction is always there no matter what." Trina shrugged and walked over to the corner of her bed. She'd let Cat lead if the girl really wanted to, mostly because she simply wasn't all that confident in her attractiveness. "Besides, you're beautiful, so don't be afraid to show that."

Unconvinced, she folded her hands in her lap and looked off to her window with a low hum. "I guess." She did like the choice of outfit, since it was simple and sweet. She picked up the jeans and glanced at the shirt nearby. "The shirt and jeans are easy on the eyes."

"Right. Not too flashy, but simple. Simple is perfect." She agreed. These days she found herse`lf preferring the simple things over all else. She didn't want to overdo anything.

Within an hour David called upstairs that Jason was here. Cat put her hand to Trina's back, comforting the rush of nerves sweeping over her. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she looked frantically at her friend. "I can't believe this is actually happening." Cat tilted her head and smirked.

"What? That you and Jason are going out, or that you're going on a date?"

"Both, in a way." She hadn't thought herself to be his type back when they first met. She'd been attracted to a lot of guys that she wasn't a type or that she wasn't in their league. "I haven't wanted to go on a date in…"

"A long time. Yeah." Cat pat her back and started to push her gently to the door. "Come on. It'll be great. So long as you don't drink too much." She rolled her eyes and stepped at the top of the stairwell.

Her hand came to rest on the oak railing, and her peach colored nails guided her fingers around into a tight grip. Cat pulled her hand away and leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not holding your hand all the way down there, you know."

"No, I know." She chuckled nervously and closed her eyes. "I half expect Robbie to be down there with a guitar and song about why Jason can't go out with me all of a sudden." Cat shook her head and rubbed Trina on the shoulder.

"Well open your eyes then." She opened her eyes to see Cat's smiling face first, then turned her gaze to the bottom of the stairwell and caught her breath. David and Jason were looking up at her.

She felt Cat lean in. Her eyes locked with Jason's and her blush started to grow. "Robbie's not here anymore," Cat whispered, "He hasn't been here in three years. Andre's in New Orleans, and I'm your best friend. Nobody's stopping you from having a great date. Nobody's bullying you anymore, nobody can hurt you anymore. Don't let the past stop you from having a good time."

"I'll try," she whispered back.

"Good." Cat stepped down onto the next stair and turned around, grinning from ear to ear. "Besides all that, Jason doesn't seem like the type to be talked out of anything. No one's forcing him to trick you, and no one's making him not take you out. He's real, he's authentic, and he's here. Have fun."

Trina took a deep breath and brought her left hand up to her eye, wiping away the moisture building up beneath her eyelids. This moment didn't feel like a simple first date, it felt like she was going to some big event like a gala.

As she made her way down, Jason appeared mesmerized. David wished them well and asked Jason to _try_ to get her home by one at the latest-as he wanted to be able to get some sleep and not sit up waiting for her to come home.

Walking out to the car, Jason got the door for her.

Once the reality of the moment wore off, she studied Jason with a calm smile. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a loose red shirt tucked into them. He wore a light denim jacket that was unbuttoned. His short sandy brown hair was styled in neat waves that appeared like curls she could run her fingers through

She bit down on her lip, chewing gently as her eyes traveled down his body. "You look great," Trina blurted. Jason smiled at her and breathed in slowly.

"You too, you look beautiful." Her eyes widened for a split second and her heart skipped a beat. Jason glanced at the mirror and laughed once. "I bet we both look insanely different out of our uniforms."

"Yeah." She ran her hand through her hair, laughing with him. "I'm used to seeing you in your _gi_ , you're used to my subway shirt and hat. I think you still look good in your uniform, at least. Me? Not so much…"

"I wouldn't say that. You make it work." Her blush returned to her cheeks, and by now, her heart felt as though it might leap from her body.

Reaching the restaurant, they took a seat in one of the three half booth-half tables in the back. The bar was up front, stretching out almost from wall to wall of the large building. There were several tables between them and the bar.

It was a quiet night, with few patrons, so they were able to get a server assigned to them pretty quickly. Jason appeared amazed when she pulled out her loyalty card and ordered a stout beer with the Guinness Bratwurst.

He hadn't been there too often before, so he wound up ordering the same thing. "I have to admit, you don't look like the type of woman to drink stout beers." He curved a finger over his upper lip, his hand concealing a smile. Trina shrugged and smiled back at him.

"When I turned twenty-one, dad brought me for my 'first' legal beer, and it was a Guinness. I loved it." She sipped on her beer and leaned back slowly. "I'm a stout kind of girl." Her lips curved into a smirk and Jason pushed his hand away with a chuckle.

"Nice." He raised his glass towards his mouth and flicked his eyes out towards her. "I like that." She leaned back and tilted her head to the right.

"So." She looked up, then at the bar. "What do we talk about on a first date?"

"I imagine we talk about ourselves. Getting to know each other." She nodded and slid her purse down to her hip. "So what else is there about you I don't know?" She ran her hand along her upper arm and looked down at her beer.

"We'll you've met my best friend. Twice." Jason gripped the top of his glass with his fingers and raised it up, chuckling softly.

"Yeah I was surprised to see her. I thought she was one of your sister's friends, but you mentioned that rift. What happened to all of them?"

"They just, you know, went on their own paths in life." After hearing about Beck and his 'prostitute', Andre broke off their many years of friendship and decided to move in with a relative in New Orleans. "Andre's moved away, doesn't talk to Beck or anybody here anymore. Robbie got some kind of deal in Vegas a couple years ago, and Jade's rooming with my sister."

"Beck. That's the guy that keeps looking like he's got something shoved up his ass, right?" Trina stifled a laugh and cupped a hand over her mouth as Jason smirked playfully. He dropped the smirk and sighed. "I know you told me what happened there. It must suck."

"Yeah." She ran her hand over her neck, clearing her throat in the process. "But enough about all that." She didn't want to talk about them. She wanted to talk about him, and he asked about her, so it was a task to figure out what to talk about.

Trina bit her lip, sucking in gently while studying the strong veins under the surface of Jason's hand. "Well I um, I was born in California, but Dad's from Spain. Tori tells everyone we're Latina, but that's not right."

"Spain." Jason picked up a piece of shrimp and dipped it into sauce. "You'd be part Spanish, not Latina."

"Right." She took another sip of her drink, closing her eyes and relishing at the splash of flavors hitting her tongue. "Up in Sacramento where my grandmother lives." She set the drink down and stuck her fork into the end portion of her bratwurst. "Have you been in California most of your life?"

"No. I was born in Texas. Houston." He leaned back and took a deep breath. "I moved here to stay with my uncle." Jason scratched the back of his head and pulled the corner of his lip back into his cheek. "Around the time I met your friend, that's when I actually moved here."

"Mind if I ask why?" She knew Jason said he'd made some mistakes in the past; that he'd hung with the wrong crowd. She wanted to know if this was the reason for the move. "You told me before that you hung with the wrong type of people."

"I…did." He closed his hands together and lowered his chin on top of them. She could see his muscles tense, which made her nervous. This was their first date, so she didn't want to scare him off by prying into a hard subject in his life.

Trina placed her hand on top of his and smiled reassuringly into his eyes. "You don't have to tell me about it." He smiled back, and lowered his hands. "If it's too hard…when did you start learning martial arts?"

"Took a few classes when I was a kid. Stopped when I was twelve or thirteen, since my parents got divorced." She furrowed her brow and started to circle her thumb on his hand. She wanted to provide some sort of comfort, though all she could do was listen. "As for getting involved with the wrong people, I never did drugs or anything, but got into a lot of fights I shouldn't have."

"Did you start any?"

"No." He pressed his lips together and looked down. "This group was a small, two-bit gang I was only a part of for a few months. They would pick fights, get into brawls and drag me into it. After that, I'd get into fights with people when I was protecting someone I cared about, but still wild."

"So what happened? What changed?"

"Uncle Erwin." Jason smiled and pulled himself back. "He dragged me to California, enrolled me in a martial arts academy because he said I could 'put the energy to good use'. You learn respect, control and calmness that way." Jason chuckled and looked up fondly. "Then he pushed me to join the military."

"Oh?" Her heart skipped and the pitch in her voice rose. "Military?"

"I did a stint in the Marines for a couple of years, had my college paid for, and now I'm a martial arts instructor and personal trainer." She found herself becoming more drawn to him, hearing about his time in the military. "What about you?"

"Oh there's really nothing interesting about me."

"Come on, I'm sure that's not true." She flashed a small smile and curled her hair around her finger.

"Well…I did do a small internship during college-student internship-but the manager there didn't like me."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Yeah."

"At least Sandra likes me. I feel valued there."

"You're a good person, of course you're valued."

They spent the rest of the night talking about their week and laughing over events that happened at their respective works and various jokes. The more the night went on, the more she was drawn to him.

It was real, it was genuine, and not the effect of drinking as she only had two drinks and she could drink at least five beers without being terribly affected. She felt as though he cared for her, and she cared about him.

At the end of their date, Jason walked her towards her front door. "God it's late." He rubbed the back of his neck and she gazed up with arched eyebrows. "I was going to give my students a pop quiz, but I'd rather not."

"Why not?"

"Whenever I give pop quizzes, I end up having to stay at the office really late into the night." They stopped on the front porch and turned to each other. She tilted her head, listening intently. "I prefer to get them graded and not leave them sitting."

"Do you give them often?"

"Not really, I like to quiz them to make sure they know their stuff or they're paying attention, so it's really once in a while."

Trina smacked her lips and glanced at her purse while folding her hands over the top. "I had a great time tonight, Jason."

"So did I." Trina sat the purse on the plastic end table and leaned towards him, looking into his tender and warm gaze. "Maybe we can do this again?"

"I'd like that." Her lower lip tucked beneath her teeth and her eyes moved down his body. She leaned closer, daring herself but holding back at the same time. "I don't want scare you off or make you feel uncomfortable, Jason…"

"You're not."

"Is it okay?" She moved her hand up to his arm, gasping as her fingers wrapped around his bicep. He moved his gaze to her hand, raising his eyebrows slowly. "Is it okay to kiss you?"

His gaze travelled back to her and his shoulders rose. "It's the first date, but I don't have a problem with that. We don't have to rush."

Taking a breath of confidence, Trina pushed down her nerves and leaned into him, kissing his lips gently. Her hand tightened around his arm and his hands moved to her waist as the surge of energy punched through their body.

She stepped back, pulling him with her until her back hit the wall. Slowly her hands rose to his shoulders, caressing and massaging them as they moved behind his neck.

The kiss, while gentle, grew in strength. She felt a fire in her chest and around her cheeks, and began to groan as the kiss deepened. The ground vanished beneath her feet, but she didn't care. She could float on air with this, it felt like.

What lasted for only a few seconds lingered on her lips much longer than when they separated. His mouth seemed to pull a sharp breath from her lungs, leaving her breathless. Her knees began to buckle and a peculiar dizziness started to sink in..

"Wow," she managed to whisper. His hand had cupped her cheek and his face was red as hers. "That was…" She pulled her hand up to her chest and closed her eyes. "Unexpected."

"Is that okay?"

"Y-Yes. I mean, it was, it was good." She leaned forward, kissing him once more on the lips. Her hand came to rest on his chest, her fingers curled into her palms. "Let's go out again, Jason. This time, I promise not to drag you to a bar." She flashed a smirk and Jason laughed.

"I was thinking we could hit a hiking trail in the park or something." Her heart fluttered and she almost shouted for joy upon hearing his idea. Not only was it an enjoyable activity, it would be great to get more active again.

"I'd love that."

"I'll call you, then."

"Please do." She hugged him goodnight and said her goodbye before watching him walk back to his car. Her heart was still racing to the point she didn't think she'd be getting much sleep that night.

When she looked to the front window, she could see the living room lights were on inside. David was still awake and she knew he would want to know if the date went well. It was Cat she felt would want to know all the details. Either way, it was the best date she'd had, and she looked forward to telling them that part.

* * *

What do you think? Good date? Certainly a esteem booster too.


	12. First Closing Shift

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 12 (First Closing Shift)

Stepping out of her truck to work on Sunday afternoon, Trina's heart started to race when she saw Jason's studio. He wasn't in work today, but that didn't change much. She wanted him to be there though, to help her nerves regarding today.

It was her first closing shift; and it was _Sunday_. Rather than close at 9:00, they closed at 7:00. She was afraid she wouldn't do things the right way, and Sandra wasn't there to tell her what to do.

Sandra corrected her on the long-winded dishwashing she'd done, showing her how to get the dishes done within twenty minutes. It was simple when it all came down to the bone, she just needed to ignore the food building up at the drain grate and simply rinse off the dishes from the soapy water-then throw them into the sanitizer for a bit.

"Maybe it's a good thing he's not here, we won't distract each other." Her lower lip tucked under her teeth and she turned away, holding her hands above her chest.

They saw each other as well on Saturday. It was a last minute, unplanned date: Trina saw a movie she really wanted to see and could only think of texting Jason to watch it with her when Cat was unable. They saw the movie, then went out for dinner.

The third date was going to be on Tuesday.

Putting it out of her mind, Trina shook herself and walked around the corner and to the front door. Inside the restaurant was a Hispanic man with a broad shouldered build. He had a stud in his left earlobe, a thin black moustache and a sparkling smile. "Hey Ernie." She'd only met him once before when she was working late to cover Vincent's lost shift-he came in to order a sandwich.

"Trina." He was enthusiastic in his tone, but standing casually with his forearm folded over the countertop. "Good to see you made it. You ready?"

"Yeah." Ernie seemed to be a cool guy, so she was eager to see if he had anything to teach her. "I'm a little nervous. I haven't closed before." Ernie smiled and waved her over.

"Don't be nervous. Come, I'll give you some tips." She made her way into the back and met with him in front of the checklist that was posted to the wall. Each hour had a certain number of items to do, ranging from refilling the sauce bottles to pulling the bread. "Pulling the bread will be priority, but you don't do that until 8:00 _on normal days_."

Trina's brow furrowed and she followed him to the freezer. He pointed to the boxes on the bottom two shelves, both sides. "Bread boxes. Wheat is on the left, white is on the right." She took a deep breath and remained silent as he walked her to the cooler. There was a laminated sheet of paper taped to the cooler, with instructions on how many trays of bread were to be pulled each day.

Sunday through Thursday, twelve trays of white and twelve trays of wheat were to be pulled. Friday and Saturday, it was five and five.

"I like to set the trays out on this table." He tapped the metal table pinned to the side of the cooler. "I'll have the entire surface filled with the trays." She nodded in understanding, absorbing the information. "Now once you've done that, after eight you still have a bunch of other things to do."

"But this is Sunday. We close at-"

"Seven. So get started a couple hours sooner." Ernie crossed his arms and motioned to the checklist with a sideways nod. "That list starts at five. You can get started on things at three on Sundays."

"Okay." She could see that it was required she be able to clock out and be done by 9:30. She hoped to be able to do that.

At five, or three on Sundays, she was to refill the sauce bottles and wipe down the microwave as well as toaster. Sauces needed to be moved from the metal bins to the long black bins to be stored overnight. The seasoning shakers were to be cleaned and refilled as well. At six, she needed to wipe the tables and countertops, then wash any and all dishes. At seven, the entire store was to be swept and mopped-including restrooms.

"Did Sandra show you how to clean the restrooms, by the way?"

"Yes." The toilets and sinks were sprayed with bleach, then scrubbed down with the toilet brush. She would then sprinkle water over it all. In Sandra's words, she would touch 'nothing but the water'. She would take the window cleaner and spray the mirrors, then wipe them with the brown hand towels.

"Okay." Ernie brushed his thumb against the side of his nose and walked out to the line. She followed and looked to the line. "Now, when you get ready to pull the meats and veggies to put them into the cooler, you'll have to wipe out the line. Spray _only_ the windex in there and wipe it clean."

"Okay." She took a deep breath and continued listening to him. She valued his input and saw him as more of a mentor in this moment. He pulled two clipboards from the top of the cash register drawer and showed them to her. "What's this?"

"The count." The primary listed inventory to be taken at 5:00, then close. "You have to count the bread, count the flatbreads, count the salad bowls, and finally count the money." Ernie hit the 'operations' button on the computer and pointed to a block that said 'end day'. "When you close out the day, you will hit this. It will ask you for all your totals."

She understood, but was still slightly nervous about it. She hoped to avoid the closing shift, but knew it was inevitable that she do it. At that regard, she would have liked her first closing shift to be on a weekday-not a Sunday.

Ernie showed her a few more tasks, giving her some further helpful tips before heading out. He stated that he'd be back around 6:00 in case she needed help with anything.

"Oh, and another thing." Ernie motioned to the back door-which had a sign stating that it was not to be opened after 5:00. "I know you parked around the side. If you can remember to park in the front for your closing shift, you should do so."

"Why?"

"Safety, for the most part. You're closing, it'll be dark, it's better that you be parked in front. You don't have to worry about it tonight, but try and remember to do that in the future."

She pursed her lips and nodded. "Okay…" She liked parking along the side, but she'd try and remember to park in the front. The main reason she didn't do that was because she didn't want to take up space for customers. Still, it was for safety reasons. While she didn't feel unsafe, she'd remember to park at the front if she could. "I'll do my best."

"Great."

When he was gone, she went into the back and stared at all the papers on the main wall, taking a deep breath and trying to steady her nerves. When she spied a paper stapled to the bulletin board that regarded Anton, she furrowed her brow and read it.

It was an informative list denoting all the things that Anton had not done properly. He had not removed the soda nozzles, he did not wipe anything, he did not roll up the black mats in front of the door, soda machine, or the back. Nor did he bag the bread.

Bagging the bread was to be done at least by 8:40. Essentially, any bread left by the end of the night was to have a small plastic bag draped over the tray and tied at the end to keep it fresh overnight. This bread was to be used in the morning while the new bread was baking.

"Wow…" She shook her head and looked at the metal shelves where the trays and bread liners were located. Each liner consisted of five bread slots. "I guess I should lay out the trays now." She figured it would save her some time to have the trays already strewn out and prepared on the table, rather than preparing the trays and spreading out the bread dough at the same time.

Ernie had shown her how to deal with the boxes. In each box were exactly 70 sticks of dough. She was to write how many were left after removal. On the box was a table where she could write neat specifics: Date, total contained, total removed, total left, and initial. She preferred writing it there because it looked cleaner and neater.

The dressings were in individual bags that she had to use a knife to cut a small hole in the corner. It took her a few minutes to refill the containers nearing empty, and by the time she had changed out the metal bins for the black, she had a few customers to serve.

Her nerves were no help as she raced through trying to get everything done. Customers kept coming in before she could get the next item on the checklist done. When she went to clean the oven and poofer, a customer entered. When she went to wash the dishes, a customer entered.

"You're all by yourself?" Someone asked her as she prepared a sandwich for her. There were two other customers behind this one. She smiled pleasantly and shrugged.

"It's okay." Truth be told, she sort of enjoyed the pressure. She had the thought to prepare multiple sandwiches at once, to speed up the time it took for her to get through them and for the customers that were waiting. "Evidently closing is tame enough that we don't need multiple."

The customer gave her a concerned look while handing her the money for the food. "Are you sure? It just seems like a lot"

"Yeah, I'm doing well, I think."

Once she got through those customers, she started to sweep, but stopped when she recalled Ernie mentioning that he'd already swept and mopped prior to her arrival.

As it neared six o'clock, Trina tried her best to get the bread sticks pulled and done. She needed to move them to the retardant box in the cooler. The bell rang just as she pushed the last box in, and she let out an exasperated sigh.

Moving back to the line, she was disheartened to see Beck entering the store. He glanced at her with sharpened eyes and flared his nostrils. "Seriously?" He asked. "I thought you worked during the daytime on the weekdays?" She brushed her hand along the walkway frame and started to glance at the parking lot outside.

Her heart stopped when she realized she'd forgotten to pull her car around to the front. "Yeah," she stammered, "This is my first time closing." Beck looked around and grunted.

"You're all alone?"

She closed her eyes and pulled the bread from the display case. "Closing shift doesn't call for more than one person." Beck chuckled once and shook his head.

"Wow. That's lame." Trina rolled her eyes and started getting his sandwich ready. He didn't speak much to her aside from telling her what he wanted on his sandwich. Though the register was a different story. "So how has work been?"

"Fine." She didn't want to say much to him, because she was far too worried about closing on time than having a conversation. "I'm enjoying it a lot."

"Good, I guess." He raised an eyebrow and grabbed his sandwich. "A shame you're working alone though, seems like you should have some help."

"Don't need help. I got this." She wanted help, but she didn't want to admit to it. At the very least, she felt like she was averaging a decent time.

Beck's brow furrowed and he scratched at his chin. "You know…" She crossed her arms and took a small step back. Her heart was still and her stomach slowly churned. "It's not safe out there at night. You sure you don't want me to stick around just in case?"

"It's safe enough, Beck." She cracked her neck to the right and started to turn. "Thanks."

"I think-" The door chimed and she looked over to see Ernie entering. Relief filled her heart and she grinned as he waved at her. Beck let out a grunt in response. "Yeah okay."

"Miss me?" Ernie asked as Beck brushed by him. Trina chuckled once and waited for him to come around to the back.

Ernie seemed impressed with all she had been able to get done. The dishes remained, as did the count, but that was about all.

He helped her with some of the customers coming in, letting her focus on counting all the totals. When everything was done, she was able to clock out just a few minutes after 7:30. She made it to her truck and hi-tailed it home, where she found her father sitting on the couch watching television.

"How was work?" David asked.

"Good," She answered. She wasn't so terrified of closing now that she had done it. It was just a matter of getting everything done. "I don't know if I want to close again, but at least I know what to do."

She could learn to get better-faster-and hopefully be able to do much better. Part of her wanted to tell her dad about Beck, but at the same time she didn't want to worry him about the guy. After all, Beck was nothing more than a grudge holder that was all bark and no bite.

"How was your day, Dad?"

"Strangely uneventful." He swept his hand through his hair and laughed loosely. "I expected to be assigned to something, but wasn't."

"Surprising."

"Yeah…" A solemn expression came over him and he shrugged. "I'm thinking about retirement, but I'm not sure." She raised her eyebrows and smiled at him. She wouldn't mind seeing him retire; at least it would mean he'd be around more often.

David scratched his head and cleared his throat. "So…you're enjoying your time at Subway?" She plopped beside him on the couch and nodded.

It was a strange feeling she had, but she actually enjoyed working there more than anything else. Sandra, Nancy, and the rest felt like family to her. "I love it there." David smiled again and pat her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. I hope closing wasn't too difficult."

"Not _terribly_." It was hard, but not as difficult as she'd been afraid of. Surely there were rougher days, but now that she had done it for the first time, she could learn and not be afraid.

* * *

So what are your thoughts? Her first closing shift seemed to go decently. It's not easy, especially when you have many customers coming every so often. Beck's appearance didn't seem so bad, or did it? What do you make of everything?


	13. Danger Looms

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 13 (Danger Looms)

"It was great," Trina said as she explained the 'details' of her first and second date with Sandra and Nancy. They asked, and she felt like they were partially responsible for bringing her and Jason together. "The second date was more of an impromptu thing."

"Impromptu?" Sandra scrunched her face momentarily and leaned her head to the right. "You mean unplanned?"

"Yeah. I wanted to watch this movie and my best friend wasn't able to go, so Jason was the first person I thought of after Cat." The more she thought of the dates, the more she could feel her blood warming her cheeks. "We um, we kissed." She smiled timidly as Sandra's and Nancy's eyes grew large.

"Oh my god," Nancy exclaimed with a happy laugh. "Do tell." There wasn't much to say, or much she wanted to say; but she did want to let them know it definitely sealed her into wanting to go out more often with him.

"It was a rush." She crossed her hands over her heart and grinned as the familiar fluttering returned to her chest. "I haven't felt so secure, so warm, in so long. We kissed goodbye on the first date, and goodbye on the second." They were trying not to move so fast, but she enjoyed his kisses. "I haven't mentioned…he's my first real kiss." Her blush grew as the women started sighing.

The second date consisted of dinner at some steak restaurant, they talked about their week and her nerves regarding her first closing shift. They also discussed their first kiss and what it meant. That was where they decided to take it slow, but his kisses were addicting to her.

"So glad you had a good time."

"Thanks. He made me less nervous about closing Sunday, actually."

"Ah yes, you did a good job." Sandra smiled and a glint of pride flashed in the woman's eyes. "You didn't run into any trouble, did you?" Trina shook her head, stopping when she thought about the encounter with Beck.

On one hand she didn't want to bother Sandra and Nancy with it, but on the other hand she wanted to let them know he came around. "Well, nothing happened, but Beck came by." Nancy frowned and Sandra's eyebrows fell flat over her eyes.

"Oh? Is he starting trouble with you?"

"He didn't last night. Ernie came in and he left…seemed like he was surprised to see me working the closing shift."

Sandra breathed in and raised her hand up. "If he starts stalking you or you're feeling afraid of him, _please_ let me know." The firmness of her tone spoke volumes to her. She was comforted by Sandra's concern, but didn't think there was any need to worry. "I am able to turn him away if he's causing you any trouble, so don't think you're in a position where you can't be helped."

"Right," Nancy said, chipping in her input. "If you feel like you're in danger because of a customer, let someone know."

Thinking on it, she did feel uncomfortable whenever Beck came in, but it wasn't so bad that she felt like she was in any amount of danger. "He's creepy," she admitted. Nancy and Sandra leaned their heads back and exchanged concerned glances. "I don't feel like I'm in any danger from him. He's all bark and no bite."

"No." Trina raised an eyebrow as Nancy shook her head. "A person holding a grudge. Anger builds and turns to hate. If you hate enough to hurt someone, you can hurt someone."

"He hates my sister, not me."

Nancy was right, and it did scare her a little to think of what Beck might try. Beck had no access to Tori, but he also didn't have any reason to harm her as far as she knew. It wasn't like Tori would care if Beck did something to her sister.

"The way he looks at you… Sandra shook her head and walked past her. "Just let us know if you're worried about him. There isn't much we can do, but we can at least watch out for him and try and work something out."

"Try keeping in mind Trina, he might not like your sister, and by extension he dislikes you."

It was uplifting to know the cared enough about her to worry, especially since nobody else had bothered to worry about her for so long. "I appreciate your concern." She didn't want to say he did scare her, because she didn't want to worry them. At the same time, if she allowed herself to be frightened of him, she would be giving him too much power.

"I won't worry about him right now," Trina responded softly. "To maneuver and be frightened of him is to give him power. Let's not satisfy his lust of control and power by fretting about him."

"Okay." The front door chimed, so Trina hurried out first, greeting the newest customer with a smile.

"Hi, welcome to Subway!" The customer smiled back at her and tapped her chin while looking at the display window. "Are you having a good day?"

"I am. Thank you."

"What would you like?"

"Um…" The woman furrowed her brow, tapping her lip gently. "I'll go with a foot-long Cold Cut Combo on honey oat." Trina nodded and hurried through.

By 12:30, they were charging through customers lining up to the door. It was different now without Vincent's help, so Trina did the best she could to make the sandwiches. She took pride in providing near perfect sandwiches, so she wanted to make the top-notch sandwiches.

Nancy and Sandra would jokingly tell her to hurry up, so she tried to speed up while keeping an eye on the door. Surprisingly, Beck hadn't come in yet.

By 1:30, things were slowing down and Sandra had retreated to the back to work on some things that she needed to do as manager.

The restaurant was packed, with almost every table filled. It swelled her heart to see so many customers sitting down to enjoy the sandwiches. With a smile, she walked back to the bread display case and started checking the bread loaves remaining. There was no shortage of the beautiful bread.

The chime of the door drew her eyes, and her heart started to sink when she saw Tori and Jade walking in. Jade was shuffling behind Tori, her eyes darted about the restaurant in a nervous fashion. "Oh would you stop?" Tori rolled her head and dropped her arms. She snapped her head back at Jade and narrowed her eyes. "He isn't here. I swear, you haven't been the same since dumping his ass."

"I know," Jade replied with a mutter. "I just think I was wrong…It's been hard without him."

"Whatever Jade." Tori jerked her head back and Trina could almost feel the girl's glare zeroing in on her. "There's my pathetic sister, working at a fast food joint." Tori crossed her arms and approached with a virulent sneer. "I don't see how you're dad's favorite-working at a slum job like this."

"It's not a 'slum'," Trina said in defense. Nancy walked up beside her and rolled her head to the right.

"Is this the sister without a real job?" Nancy smacked her lips and Tori paled and looked as though someone just side-swiped her. "At least you have a job, Trina, and at least you enjoy it."

Trina's heart skipped and she looked to her sister matter-of-factly. "Would you like a sandwich, Tori?" She grinned from ear to ear, watching as Tori moved her right hand to her waist and looked down with her eyes. The girl's lips twisted and her left cheek protruded.

"You know what? Yeah. Yeah, I'll take some." Tori pulled her hair back and pushed past Jade. Her eyes darted up and she waited as Trina opened the display door. "Give me six sandwiches." Her heart stopped and her jaw fell.

Sandra's head poked out from the back, her eyebrow rose and her eyebrows closed together. Nancy moved over to the register, grumbling and shaking her head. "Six? Okay, what type of bread?"

"Oh um." Tori chewed on her fingernail and started to smirk. "Actually no, make that seven." Tori dropped her hand and scoffed. Trina had done three sandwiches for a single customer, and it was tough because she was still learning to go fast. "Since this _is_ 'fast food', I'd like you to make all of those in under five minutes. Think you can?"

"Five minutes?" She held her breath, trying to hold back from screaming. "O-Okay." It was impossible to make seven sandwiches in that amount of time-at least it was for her. "What bread?"

"I want…one wheat, footlong. One wheat six inch, two honey oats…both six inches. One footlong flatbread. One six inch Italian herb and cheese, then a footlong Italian." Trina scrambled to get the deli paper out, nearly tripping over herself. Tori laughed as she fumbled with the bread knife.

"So." Tori pursed her lips and her eyes fell into narrow slants. "I heard you went on a couple dates. Poor guy doesn't realize what crazy girl he's just hooked up with I'll bet." She gasped out and tried to focus on the sandwiches, but the more stress Tori loaded onto her, the more her eyes burned and filled with tears. "Won't last long I'll bet. Who wants to date someone working fast food? I mean really."

"Tori…" Jade whispered harshly. "Let it be. I know you're upset, but this isn't the way to act."

"Shut up, Jade." Jade flinched and dropped her head. It was appalling and startling to see Jade so reduced-a woman for whom Trina knew had been assertive and dominant so many years ago.

"What happened to you?" Trina asked aloud. Her stomach dropped when she realized her mistake. Jade glanced up at her with a confused look and slowly pointed at herself. Figuring she needed to continue now, she did so. "You used to be mean, aggressive, assertive…when did you become so meek? It's not like you…"

"Meek? I'm not-"

Tori cleared her throat and tapped her wrist. "I don't see sandwiches being made." Trina rolled her eyes and mustered a small grin.

"I'm sorry. You didn't tell me what you want."

"I want…"

Jade pushed Tori to the side and pointed at the ham. "Ham. All of them, Trina." Tori's eyes widened and she turned fully to Jade.

"Excuse me, no, that's not what I want to do."

"You're upset that everyone's been getting on your case because Trina got a job, and you think fast food is beneath you, so you're trying to make your sister miserable." Jade crossed her arms and Tori looked down for a moment. "Isn't that right? We have no reason to order _seven_ damn sandwiches."

"Sure we do." Tori flung her hair back and scoffed. "We can save what we don't eat and have them later. Plus…" Tori smirked at Trina and wagged her eyebrows. "My sister will give us a discount, won't you Trina?"

Trina stammered and looked helplessly at Sandra and Nancy. Sandra walked out with a growl and pushed her to the side. "I'll take this order." Trina smiled gently and Tori extended her hand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa no! I want _her_ to make my sandwiches."

Nancy moved to the vegetables side and slid her hands along the white boards. "Nope," Nancy remarked, "We'll make them." Trina pulled her hand over her chest and took a small step back, watching as Nancy pointed to the back. "Trina. Finish dishes please."

"Okay." She hurried to the back, ignoring Tori's angry muttering.

It wasn't long before she heard Nancy calling for her, so she pulled the last dish from the sanitizer and hurried around. Glancing at the register, she saw the listed price in the fifties-a stunning sight. "Your sister would like to know if you are giving discount." Nancy folded her forearms, tapping her right fingernails on her left arm. Sandra stood behind her, looking over Nancy's shoulder with a calm expression.

She could see in Sandra's eyes that she didn't want to give a discount, but it seemed she wanted Trina to say it. Fifty percent off each item would certainly help, but given Tori's behavior, she didn't think it was deserved.

Trina straightened her posture and wiped away the moisture in her eyes. "No," she answered. Tori's jaw dropped and Jade removed her credit card with a deep sigh. "Sorry Tori, I didn't make the sandwich for you and I don't make the rules." Sandra's mouth turned upwards and she nodded once.

"Fine." Tori grabbed the sandwiches and spun around as swift as she could, freezing just as she saw someone leaving a car outside.

The car was a four door black truck with a custom flame paintjob on the side. The person walking up to the door was Beck. When Trina saw him, her heart constricted and fell into the bile of her stomach. "Oh god no…" The door chimed and both her coworkers looked up.

Jade slid her card on the card machine and turned her head over her shoulder, slowing her movement as she spotted her former flame. "Beck," Jade whispered. It seemed as though every eye in the room hovered over him. A stillness filled the air, and much like an old western movie, customers appeared ready to move out of the way.

Trina placed her hand on the portion of the wall just underneath the black landline phone attached to it. Her heartbeat increased its furious tempo with each slow step Beck made.

His poisonous glare fixated onto Tori, and his lips pulled apart into a violent snarl. "Fancy running into you here again," he said, "Victoria." Tori slung her three sandwiches over her shoulder and shrugged.

"Just getting a few sandwiches, but my sister didn't have the decency to give a discount."

"Let me guess. Jade paid for them."

"What's it to you?"

Beck pushed his hands into his pockets and raised his shoulders. "You're a bitch that manipulates and uses people. Tricks people." Tori dropped her sandwiches onto one of the four circular tables in the center and walked up within a foot of Beck.

"You take that back, asshole." Beck turned to her and craned his neck to the right.

"I won't."

The customers at the three other center tables began to look around fearfully. The veins in Trina's hand bulged as she slid her fingers down the wall. Tori narrowed her eyes and huffed. "Why the hell are you even here? Have you been bothering Trina? Jade told me about the confrontation she had with you a while back. What do you want?"

"Nothing. Also, your sister's weak. She wouldn't do anything if I did anything at all to her." Tori sucked in the air through her teeth and clenched her fist tight. "As for you, I hate you. You took _everything_ I had. My girl, my best friend…you ruined the shit out of my life." Beck stepped forward, glaring into Tori's eyes. "So you better watch who you're talking to, because I'll be damn sure the next thing you do or say will be the last insult."

"Whatever."

"You think I can't hurt you?" His muscles tensed and he gnashed his teeth. "I'll tear away the very things you hold closest to you, and I'll laugh when you've been knocked down a few pegs." He cracked his neck and twitched his lip. "You deserve everything you'll get coming to you, bit-"

Like a flash of lightning, Tori reached up and swept her hand across his face. Beck recoiled, grabbing his cheek and clenching his eyes. "That'll be enough out of you." Tori reached over, pushing Beck back. "You don't frighten me. You're nothing but a bully. Nothing but an asshole. There's _nothing_ you can do to me that will _ever_ hurt."

"You'll regret that."

"I said there's nothing you can do."

Then it came, so sudden that it stole the breath from Trina's lungs. Tori was on her back on the floor, clutching her face-now shrouded by her hair. Beck stood over her, his face dark and his right fist clenched the size of a baseball. Jade gasped and ran to Tori's side, shrieking and looking up with fear.

"You will regret that," Beck growled out, "I'll cut you where it fucking hurts. Maybe I can't hurt you physically, but don't think you're immune." He looked at Jade with contempt and shook his head. "Look at you. So weak now. What the hell happened to you, Jade? Did Tori manipulate you into becoming so pathetic?"

Sensing the turmoil and wasting no time, Trina grabbed the phone and dialed 9-1-1.

"Police!" She exclaimed once the answer came. Beck threw his head up and looked at her. He extended his arm and pointed at her.

"You wouldn't dare. You better hang that phone up."

Trina lowered the phone and narrowed her eyes. "You have no power here. This is _my_ store, and you're scaring my customers."

"The hell I don't!" He ran for the display case and slammed his hand down on the top, causing both Nancy and Sandra to jump back. "Hang up that goddamn phone."

Trina put the phone to her ear and turned her back to him. "Hello police? I'd like to report a disturbance. We have an irate customer here, assaulting other customers and causing trouble." Beck slammed his fist down on the countertop again and smacked his face with his hand.

Tori's body trembled as Jade helped her to her feet. "Nothing." Tori shrugged and pulled her hair from her face. Beck turned his ire back on her, seething and flaring his nostrils. "That did nothing to me. You're nobody, Beck-that's what you are. A powerless, pathetic _child_ of a man!"

Beck turned fully towards her and started to stomp in her direction. "I swear to god you don't know what you've just done."

"I don't care."

A siren was heard in the distance, and in that moment Beck's demeanor changed. "Shit. I just wanted a damn sandwich." He wasted no time fleeing, taking one last second at the door to turn and point. "This isn't over. This isn't over by a long shot!"

By the time the police arrived, he'd gotten into his truck and sped off. Sandra had to take some time to converse with the police, then needed to contact Mandy and Mr. Shay.

Once it was all done, Sandra and Nancy met with Trina in the back. Trina leaned against the freezer in the back, hugging her waist as tears dripped from her chin. "Are you okay?" Sandra's hand touched her shoulder and she flinched for a second. "Trina?"

"I'm fine. Just…scared…"

"Of what?"

"Losing my job." Sandra's lips pursed and she shook her head.

"Losing your-no, you're a good worker, I wouldn't fire you because of this. Neither will Mandy or Mr. Shay, they understand." Her heart started to rise and a sniffle escaped her. "You don't control that man and you are most certainly not responsible for his actions. The same is said of your sister."

"I'll try and keep them away Miss Sandra, I promise."

"No. You don't need to do anything at all. I will take care of it." She tightened her hug and looked off to the right. "Will you be okay? You can go home early if you like."

"No, I'll be fine, thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She wiped her face and hugged both Sandra and Nancy. "Thank you."

All of a sudden, she heard a familiar voice shouting from the lobby. The girls looked at the security video on the television screen and saw David standing at the register. He was leaning over the counter, pushing his hands into the tabletop and panting loudly.

"It's dad…Let me go talk to him…No doubt he wants to know what happened to Tori."

"I think he's here for you," Nancy said. Trina chuckled skeptically and walked out into the front, smiling at her father. Sweat was pouring down his face, and his eyes were fraught with worry.

"Trina? You're okay? When I heard the police had been called out…"

"Everything's fine dad." She put her hand over his and looked out at the lobby. "Tori's okay too."

"I know. I just talked to her and Jade." He furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Jade said Tori was placing a wild order for you?"

"Something like that…I think she was just upset about something."

"Trina. You don't _have_ to take that behavior, you know."

"I know. I'm just taking the high ground, I guess."

"No. Assert yourself." David took a deep breath and reached over, pulling her forward into a tight hug. She closed her eyes and started to relax. "Never mind all that. I'm glad everything's okay."

"And Beck? They're looking for him?"

"They were…" Trina frowned and looked down. "They called off the search because Tori said she wasn't going to bother pressing charges for assault. Evidently your sister thinks it would just give him what he wants and appease his ego and 'need for attention'."

"She might have a point…"

"Maybe." David leaned back and wagged his finger. His voice grew deeper and his face more stern. "If he comes back here-or if Tori does-I want you to do your best to avoid interaction. Have one of your coworkers deal with them."

"This wasn't so much an interaction with me, Dad…It was all Beck and Tori…"

"I know. Your sister can take care of herself just fine, she's strong apparently." Trina raised an eyebrow and chuckled once. "I'm more concerned about you right now. Beck can't do anything to Tori-he doesn't know where to find her…but you're right here."

"Dad. I'm _okay_. Like I told Miss Sandra and Miss Nancy, I appreciate the concern, but I will be just fine." David smiled gently and rubbed her left shoulder.

"I know sweetie." His voice was soft now, and soothing to her ears. "Just be careful."

"I will."

"I know you will." He kissed her on the top of her head and looked down the line with a deep breath. "Now. How about a sandwich?" He flashed a grin and Trina happily moved for the display case.

"What would you like?"

"Oh god, I don't know…I'm hungry, so what's the meatiest thing you've got?"

"The BMT and the Spicy Italian have the most meat." David rolled his head to the right and started tapping his chin. She knew he liked spicy food, just like she did, so she knew just the right combination for the Spicy Italian. "How about double the meat on the Spicy Italian, with loads of jalapeno? Add a few lines of creamy siracha, brown mustard, and chipotle southwest." David's eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers, laughing gaily.

"That-a-girl. Put that on the Honey Oat bread and place a few slices of the pepper jack cheese while you're at it."

"Okay daddy…"

At the end of her shift, she made her way out to her car, parked along the side of the building and in her favorite parking spot directly in front of the back door. She heard a strange yet familiar song playing from somebody's vehicle.

 _Every breath you take and every move you make…_

It was a song by The Police, one she didn't care much for. She clung to her purse strap and looked around, scrunching her face in attempt to see who was playing the song so loudly.

 _Every bond you break! Every step you take._

Next to the plumbing van that usually sat near a garage door, Trina could make out the back of a large truck sticking out from the other side. Her muscles started to tense as she examined the custom fire painted on the black body.

 _I'll be watching you._

She hurried into her own truck, started the ignition, and sped off as fast as she could; relieved that the day was over and happy to begin a new one soon.

* * *

So much happened in this chapter. What are your thoughts and observations with it all? Tori does seem a little jealous, and as for Beck, that seems to be a war that can't end peacefully. Someone is liable to be gravely hurt if not careful.


	14. Learning to Trust Again

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 14 (Learning to Trust Again)

Trina found a quiet spot in the large park just outside of LA that she enjoyed going to. It was just off a windy hiking trail and a spot hidden away amongst the tall trees and brush. She was sitting on a large purple blanket, and beside her was Jason. "Sandra's got you helping another store?"

"Yeah. You know one of our guys-Anton?" Jason took a bite of the hamburger Trina prepared and nodded after chewing for a few seconds. She grabbed one of the hotdogs from the basket and raised it up, holding just before her mouth. "Well he sent Sandra a text saying that Ernie told him it was his last day, and he didn't think he could do all the hours."

She took a bite and furrowed her brow while thinking on the text. Hopefully Ernie wasn't leaving, but if he was, they could make it. She swallowed her bite and lowered the dog. "Anton was set to help close Annie's shop over on Belknap, but he quit. Sandra asked me if I want to help, so I said yes."

"Good. It's better for you. More hours, more money." She agreed, although she was nervous about the job. The location was very small from what she saw when she went over to check it out, and it was on a corner of an intersection with a freeway.

Ann herself had been a short, but large seeming woman with tattoos on her arms and her neck. When Trina rolled up, the woman was standing outside for a break to smoke a cigarette.

"I might be just a little uncomfortable with the location of the store, but I think that'll pass." She dropped her shoulders and her eyes drifted up into Jason's gaze. He smiled gently, soothing her for the moment.

"You'll be just fine, and if you need to, you can always shoot me a text and I'll be there." Her heartbeat skipped and she leaned into his shoulder, kissing his cheek. Her stomach seemed to flutter, and when he smiled back and kissed her in return, she started to swoon.

"Jason?" She leaned back, glancing nervously into his eyes. "Can I ask you something?" He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "I don't seem…crazy, do I?"

"No." He raised an eyebrow and leaned back. "I don't get that vibe from you."

"It's just-" She let out a breathy sigh and swept her hair behind her ear. "I know I had problems a few years ago, I've gotten better, but I was how I was because of all the bullying and the insecurity. I'm _still_ insecure…" She held her breath momentarily, thinking on recent events. Sure, she felt more confident since working at Subway, but aside from Sandra and Nancy, Trina wasn't sure who was truly genuine. "People don't like me-that's what Jade and everyone used to say."

Trina lowered her hot dog into her lap and Jason reached over, placing a firm hand on her wrist. She curved her lips up and raised her head. "It's hard for me to believe someone cares about me or they won't just leave me the first time I do or say something stupid or wrong."

"What's the point of getting to know someone, or even having a relationship, if you don't take them for everything they are?" Her eyes grew briskly and the fluttering in her stomach heightened. She tilted her head slowly and pulled her hand back, slipping it through his so she could curl her fingers around his.

"Trina, the amount of assholes in this world are countless…If we let everything they do or say stop of from being happy or doing something we enjoy, we're giving them more power than they deserve." He squeezed her hand gently and lifted his other hand to caress her cheek. "Don't let how they treated you in the past scare you from your future." Her eyebrows curled together and she mustered a tiny smile as she leaned towards him.

"I promise, I won't just abandon you and I hope I never give you any reason to be afraid of that." She closed her eyes and placed her hand over his, letting out a soft smile. "I care about you, and I do want to be with you."

"It's just…when Tori and Jade came by the other day, Tori said she pitied whoever I ended up dating." It was possible that Tori had only said all of that out of anger or jealousy towards whatever, but that didn't mean it didn't upset her. "I guess you're right, I shouldn't let it get to me."

"You shouldn't." Jason scratched his chin and inhaled. "When was the last time you dated, anyway, if you don't mind me asking?" She let out a nervous laugh and shook her head.

"It's been a long time. Longer for a serious relationship." She brushed her hair back and exhaled. "Last person I went out with dumped me for my sister."

"I wouldn't do that to you."

"Thanks…" Her hand dropped to his wrist and she brushed it gently. "What about you?"

"I told you about the people I got mixed up with in my early teens?" He pressed his lips together and his brow furrowed. Trina nodded, saying nothing out of respect and concern for saying the wrong thing. "One was this girl, manipulative and abusive as hell. Materialistic like you've never seen."

"How bad? I mean I might have been a little more materialistic in the past, but it wasn't like terrible."

"I mean she had to have everything under the sun. All she wanted was a meal ticket, and if you told her no, she'd throw every dangerous item she could get her hands on at you. Knives, forks, you name it." Her hand flew to her heart and she leaned back, gasping loudly. The corners of his mouth sank into his cheeks and a glint of pain shone in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I made you bring it up." He smiled faintly and shrugged.

"Don't be. You asked, so I'm going to be honest with you."

"I appreciate it." She couldn't help her curiosity; Jason was mysterious as he was intriguing. She'd let him tell her things about himself as he felt comfortable, since it was easy enough to find topics besides their past. Hell, they had a phone conversation the other night that went on for hours.

Trina enjoyed the moments of silence best at times, however. They were the times when they could just enjoy each other's presence while observing their surroundings.

"It's odd." She looked up at the clouds in the sky, grinning as a beam of light shone through a hole in the white blanket. "I've never felt like this before. This happy." Jason gazed at her with a fondness in his eyes and a serene expression that drew her attention to him. "I've never been in a relationship where I felt like I could just enjoy silence as much as I can enjoy the conversation. I've never been this happy."

Jason placed a hand over hers and she shifted her body beside his. He draped an arm around her shoulders and looked up at the sky with her. "Did you ever think clouds could be so beautiful?" Her eyebrows rose and her lips vibrated with a hum.

"They are."

"A clear blue sky is beautiful too, but that's all it is. Without clouds, there's nothing truly interesting about it, because it's already perfect." Sensing an analogy of some sort, she furrowed her brow to figure out if he was truly talking about cloudy days. "Clouds might be blemishes, they might darken the sky, but they add character. People don't stare up at the sky on a clear day because there's nothing to admire, they stare up to admire the sky's flaws and imperfections…the clouds, the weather…name it and that's what people call beautiful."

"Yeah." Her cheeks grew warm and her fingers tangled with his. She lowered her head to his shoulder and gazed up at the clouds with a bright smile. Her heart was pounding through her chest and she could feel herself melting into his arms. "Do you…do you think I'm beautiful, with all my flaws and insecurity?"

He looked to her, his fingers gliding through the back of her hair like someone feeling silk. "I think you're exceptionally beautiful." Her heart jumped to her throat and she opened her mouth to speak, though no words came. "It's been a long time since I felt that way about anyone."

"I…I was scared we were moving too fast, I didn't want to scare you off by coming off smothering or clingy."

"You don't. If anything, I think we're pacing ourselves enough. I won't push you into anything you're not comfortable with, you've got my word on that."

"Thanks." At first, she thought this was just dating, but both of them had known from the first date, this was much more than that.

The pair cuddled together on their blanket, enjoying the crinkling of the shimmering leaves in the wind. Trina enjoyed watching the squirrels nearby running up the tree, and every now and then she'd point out some wildlife nearby.

Each time Jason would rub her arm and shoulders, she'd feel a tingling sensation left over from him.

 _"_ _Is this what love feels like?"_ She pondered this while gazing at him, watching as the wind hugged his hair and face. _"Is this how it begins?"_ She smiled gently, admiring his stillness.

After a while he spied her looking and she turned her eyes away. He flashed a smile and ran his hand over her back. "You okay?"

Flustered, she shrugged and closed her eyes. "Have you ever been in love? Do you know what it feels like?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned his head back.

"Have you?"

"Honestly? No. I don't know the first thing about it. I'm not saying that I'm there yet, but…" She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. "There's something in me, I can't explain, but I can't describe this feeling."

"Take a little time to figure it out?"

"Yeah…I'm not weirding you out am I? Talking like this?" Jason chuckled and shook his head.

"No, I understand." Trina turned, twisting her body over and placing a hand on his chest. Jason's hand rose over hers and his eyes met hers, revealing a look she'd never seen anybody give to her-something that was hers and only hers. "If I'm honest, I'm thinking about the same stuff."

"So we'll figure it out together, then?"

"We will."

"Good."

She leaned forward and her eyes fluttered shut as her lips met his. Jason's powerful arms slipped around her and his body pushed forward into a more upright position.

A fire spurned in her chest, jerking her body back slightly. Jason's hand clutched her careful yet firm in the small of her back, holding her in place as she raised and tangled her fingers in his hair.

Trina pulled her lips away for a second of air, groaning softly as she shifted her hips and lowered her back towards the ground. Jason's lips crashed into hers once more like the waves of a brewing tsunami. Her shoulders hit the ground, but her waist was arched and cradled by his hand.

Jason pulled away, leaving her breathless, staring down into her hungry eyes. "Jason?" Her lungs were on fire and her heart exploded from her chest. She tried gasping for air, but could only pant.

To her right, his arm was bent and his fingers were tangled in her hair. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes." Her eyes filled with water and her lips curled into a smile. "You-You would never hurt me? Never take advantage of me?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. Even now, say the word and this is as far as it goes."

She didn't want it to stop now, she enjoyed his kisses and the warmth of his embrace, but she wasn't sure she wanted to go too far. "I don't want this to stop, but if it goes far enough, can we stop before we go too far?"

"Of course."

She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him once more with equal power. Her leg bent upwards while her foot slid over his leg. "God." She leaned her head back, her eyelids shuttered and an intake of air slipped through her clenched teeth. Jason's hand moved to her side and tugged back, letting her raise her hips slightly.

Trina didn't care if it didn't end, all that mattered was being with him and feeling the rush of adrenaline and hot blood filling her body. It was a euphoria like no other, a taste of forbidden fruit and she wanted more.

It wasn't long before he pulled away, leaving her once more wanting more air. His arms were like tower letting him hover just above her. "Maybe we should stop," he said in a breathy tone. Her brow furrowed and she started to worry as he gently caressed her cheek. "If we keep going, it'll be hard to stop."

"I know," she whispered. A lump swelled in her throat and her eyes traveled down his body. "H-Have you ever-" She stopped herself, knowing what she was about to ask and not wanting to say it. Jason shook his head slowly and took a deep breath.

"Have you?"

"I haven't either. I don't know what it's like. I didn't know if it was bad that I hadn't, but, if you haven't either…"

"There's nothing wrong with not having done it before. You just need to know when the timing is right, and if it's something you want." He sank beside her and she cuddled up against his chest, folding her arms across her chest. Jason bent his elbow on the blanket and used his hand as a perch for his head while gently running his other hand along her forearm.

Her body was trembling and her nerves were shooting throughout her body, paralyzing her. "Is it something you want?" She looked to him with arched brows and intrigue, curious to whether or not he might want to continue. "I mean…I'd like to know what it's like, but-"

"If you're unsure, then it's too soon. I'd like to know how it's like too, but when the timing's right. Like I said before, I'm never going to push you into something you don't want or aren't ready for." He put his hand to his chest and gave her a reassuring smile. "I have to be ready for that step too."

"Okay." She breathed in quick, holding onto her breath for a moment before giving him a hopeful smile. "But until then, we can still make out, right?" His smile turned to a smirk and his eyelids fell halfway as he started to roll towards her.

"Of course."

"Then why are we stopping?"

"You tell me." She rose up to meet him, taking him once more into their collapse on the ground. This time they wouldn't stop but to come up for air a few times. She craved the thrill and the pleasant sensation from his tender kiss, and became enthralled as his every stroke of her body with his hand left a trail of goosebumps on her skin.

He respected her, and she adored him for it. She trusted him, feeling safe and secure in that he wouldn't let it progress into sex just yet. Truly, he was the first person to make her feel this way, and she wasn't going to let anything ruin that for her.

* * *

Emotionally and psychologically she's making a big step here. Perhaps the confidence she feels comes from the interaction with those at her job, what are your thoughts on everything? Any thoughts on the relationship progressing and what it could mean for the future?


	15. Changing of Time

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: So as you see, the cover photo is the center square of the store. The table in the corner on the left side, closest to the camera, is the "usual corner seat". This square is also where Tori and Beck had their exchange, and where this chapter is centered.

* * *

Chapter 15 (Changing of Time)

In her usual corner seat of the store, Trina practically devoured her sandwich while watching Nancy tend to the customers. She was off her first shift and getting ready to go help at Ann's store; a double shift she was excited for.

Sandra was nearby, cleaning up the soda nozzles. The woman looked to her with a smile, and curious eyes. Trina had been walking on air all day, so she was certain this lightness in her step was what Sandra was curious about.

While she wanted to shout it to the world, part of her wanted to keep it all to herself and let everyone else guess. "So Miss Sandra, were are you from?" She lowered the sandwich and smiled gently. Sandra turned fully towards her.

"Latin America, I came over here when I was about twelve." Trina leaned back and her eyes lit up with intrigue. It was nice hearing where Sandra was from, and it felt like she was actually making a friend here. "Were you born here in California?"

"Yeah, but my dad's family is from Spain." All they needed now was someone from Cuba and Puerto Rico, then they'd be complete. She folded her forearms on the table and leaned forward, furrowing her brow as she recalled the exchange between him and Linda some time ago. "How's your relationship with your family? I'm curious…Dad doesn't seem to get along well with my grandmother for some reason, and my mom is pretty much gone."

Sandra pressed her lips together and lowered her hand on the wooden top next to the counter. "Sorry to hear that." Sandra leaned against the half-wall and shook her head. "No, I left home at sixteen." Trina raised her head up and opened her mouth to an oval. "My mother and I had issues, didn't see eye to eye."

"Wow, I…" Her hands quivered briskly and she looked down at her sandwich. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. No family is truly perfect. It isn't the family that makes you who you are, it's you." Trina's eyes bounced to the left and a portion of her lip tucked beneath her teeth. "There's a lot of drama in your family, so rise above it."

"I guess I've never known how. I was always the butt of their joke, always the 'crazy pathetic one'. I let it get to me so much, I don't know who I am anymore"

"But isn't that what life's all about? Discovering it?"

She hadn't thought about that before, but Sandra posed a good point. Sandra walked the right, raising her hand up to her chest. "Discovering things that make you believe and know for sure who you are. I'm not what my mother said I was, and you certainly aren't whaet your sister said, are you?"

Her shoulders dropped. "I don't know." Sandra closed her eyes and shook her head. "Tori and her friends always said I was a loser, I'd never amount to anything."

"You're a good worker: You're reliable, dependable, smart and confident. You know what needs to be done, and you do it. Does that sound like what you just said?"

"I guess not. That sounds like someone that could go somewhere in life."

"You have a boyfriend, too." Trina blushed and raised her hand to her burning cheek. "Does he care about you?"

"Yes." She could see where Sandra was going with that; if she was someone that nobody liked and she would never be able to find someone, then Jason wouldn't have even bat an eye for her.

"So be who you are, not who _they_ said you were."

"Who am I, then?"

"You're strong, confident, dependable…" Her heart swelled as the water under her eyelids overflowed. "You're a person that can grow and recover. I'm telling you based on what I've seen of you. You like to work, you enjoy helping out and are enthusiastic."

"I like having something to focus on, but yeah, you're right."

"Then focus on those qualities, because those are what make you the person you are." Sandra walked towards the line, stopping momentarily to glance back. "And Trina? You are _very_ likable. We all like you. " With a gasp, she felt her heart burst. Trina had to wipe her eyes while Sandra walked away, but turned around since the tears were coming faster to prevent now.

A few minutes later she saw Jade walking up to the restaurant. Her muscles tensed as she watched the girl close. Jade seemed to be waiting, her hand was on the door handle and her eyes were closed. Her chest expanded slowly, held, then collapsed.

Trina closed her hand, whispering to herself. "They like me. I'm likable. Sandra, Nancy, Jason, Maddie. They all like me."

Jade entered the store and her eyes searched the place before landing on her. "Trina!" Jade smiled openly and her eyebrows rose. "I was just looking for you." Trina frowned as the girl made her way over.

As Jade reached the table, Trina noticed the song playing over the store's radio: _Because of You_ by Kelly Clarkson.

She leaned back with a huff and crossed her arms. Jade looked to the ceiling, raising an eyebrow. "Huh…" Trina narrowed her eyes and grit her teeth.

"What are you looking for me for, Jade? I'm not about to take anymore harassment from you." Jade's eyes darted back to her, causing Trina to flinch. As amazing as it was that those words came from her mouth, she didn't want to start anything with Jade. "Listen to the song, Jade. You'll get it." Trina stood from the table, grabbing her trash and moving for the trash bin.

Jade dropped her arms and bowed her head. "I wanted to ask your permission for something." Trina stopped partway to the trash bin, her eyes moved to the side and the corner of her mouth twitched. "Tori said you're dating a martial artist, right? Our old teacher's relative?"

"Stay away from him," she growled out, "and you can tell Tori that too." She twisted around, glaring at the girl. Jade already looked like she lost a fight. Trina squinted her eyes and turned around, taking a step. Jade rubbed her arm slowly and chewed her lip.

"I deserve that after what we did a few years ago, but trust me, I-nor Tori-plan on trying to sabotage your relationship."

"Trust you? You expect me to 'trust' you?" Trina's voice shook with a mix of rage and pain. "The last guy I dated, you couldn't stop chatting about how much better my sister was, playing the perfect wingman, suggesting and advising he leave me for her. What could you _possibly_ want with Jason? Huh? Tell me."

"I want to learn some form of martial arts, that's all." Jade's eyes shimmered with tears. Her breathing was raw and her voice coarse. "He's the only martial arts instructor I know of, and I thought of you and what happened before, so I wanted to ask you so you didn't think I was trying to pull something."

"I have no reason not to think you'd try and pull something." Part of her believed Jade, which she wouldn't do if she hadn't been seeing how meek the woman had become. "I'm happy now. Jason makes me happy, and I'm not going to lose that." Jade lost the fight she once had, and it was painful to see. Whatever the case, Jade wasn't happy, and Trina couldn't bring herself to be happy with that scenario.

Trina rolled her eyes and tossed the bag into the trash. "As much as I wish I could be happy to see you suffering, I can't." Jade looked away and Trina approached her. "What the hell is going on with you?"

Jade looked up suddenly and started to take a step towards her, but Trina jerked back before her foot touched down. "Keep your distance, please. Heaven forbid you be hiding something."

"I'm not asking you to trust me…I just…I need someone to talk to."

"And what's wrong with Tori?"

"She doesn't care about this, and I don't want to bother her." Trina raised an eyebrow and watched Jade fall into a nearby chair. Jade had a distant look in her eyes as she studied the floor. "I still love him. I still want to be with him."

"What?" She did a double take and looked to the door. "Beck?" Her heart sank and she slid into a nearby chair, lowering her voice to a hush. "Jade, Beck is…"

"I _know_ he's angry, but that's because I hurt him. Tori told me, Trina." Trina leaned forward, clasping her hands between her knees and bowing her head. "Tori told me the truth. She told me she needed someone to stay with and figured if I dumped Beck, I wouldn't be moving in with him and would be able to have a roommate. She told me she saw Beck helping out that girl, took a picture and told me he was seeing prostitutes."

"Oh Jade."

"I can't even be angry about it." Jade clenched her eyes. Streaks of tears stained her cheeks, and her chest appeared to vibrate as the girl wiped her nose. "I told Tori it was okay."

"It's not okay, Jade. She ruined your relationship."

"Just like we stopped one of yours, so I don't care. I deserve it." Trina hung her head and smacked her lips.

"Jade come on, this isn't who you are. You're better than that. Stronger than-"

"Strong?" A chuckling scoff fell from Jade's lips and her face darkened. "I haven't been strong since Beck and I broke up. I haven't been the same-I still need him, Trina. I-I love him."

"You're not the only one that isn't the same." Trina sucked in a breath of air and sighed. "Jade. It's been five years. Beck's not the same person he was then. You saw, he's become angrier, vicious and spiteful."

"So? Maybe if we get back together I can change him."

"Jade. Come on. How many times has someone said they can change somebody, and that doesn't happen? It's for your own good, you're better off without him now."

"No." Jade shook her head and stood up. "I need him, Trina." Jade sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Maybe he still needs me?" Trina pitied Jade, shaking her head again and remaining silent. There was nothing she could say to convince her. "You. You were on his side back then. You knew the truth, you saw things how they were, and you didn't try and convince us."

"Like you would have believed someone you thought was full of shit."

"I'm _sorry_."

"No you're not, but you're hurting." Trina stood and looked at the clock. She had to be going, else she'd be late to Ann's store. "I knew, because I knew the girl he was helping. She lived next to us when we were kids, and when she was in high school, she looked me up and confided in me what was going on. I tried to tell Dad, but he didn't believe me, and then she told me how she met Beck and how he was trying to help her get away from that life."

"Oh…"

"It's over, Jade. That's the past, and we can't change it, but I'm telling you that it's better you just forget about him." Trina crossed her arms and tightened her jaw. "I never wanted to get involved in that drama between the three of you, and I didn't even start it; yet I got pulled into it."

"I know."

"As for Jason? No, I'm not comfortable with you taking his classes." It had little to do with jealousy, as she didn't feel that he'd leave her for anyone, but more to do with the lack of trust she had in Jade. "I don't want to have to worry that you or Tori might be trying to wreck my relationship now that I'm happy again, and I don't want to subject him to any drama with you two."

"I wouldn't-"

"I hear you. I hear what you're saying, but you haven't given me a lot of reason to trust you over the years…I'm sorry you're going through what you are, and I know you need a friend. I'm sorry I can't be that person right now, Jade, but I need space from you and from Tori at the moment."

Jade looked down in pittance and let out a sigh of defeat. "I understand. I'll look at another martial arts studio somewhere, I guess…" Trina hesitated for a second, her lips pressed together and her eyes darted to the door.

She couldn't leave Jade hanging like this. Whatever reason Jade had for wanting to learn martial arts, that desire seemed genuine enough. She could trust Jason, so she only had to trust he wouldn't be part of any potential attempt of sabotage by her sister or her sister's friend.

"You know what? I'll talk to him about it." Jade gasped and hope filled her eyes.

"Really? You will?"

"Yeah…but later." Trina crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "I'm helping another store right now, and I need to go otherwise I'll be late. After work, I'll talk to Jason about it. If you're really interested in learning a new skill." Jade started to rush forward as if she were going to hug her, but stopped when Trina held up her hand.

"Right. Sorry. Thanks! Call me later?"

"Sure…" Jade hurried out the door and Trina dropped her forehead into her hand. Her stomach twisted up and she let out a small groan. "Ugh. I did not want any of them interacting with him, but whatever."

* * *

Well, what are your thoughts? What do you think of what Sandra said, and what do you think of Jade's request and the conversation? Do you think she and Tori might try something, or not? What could possibly get Jade to listen to Trina in regards to Beck, it seems it might take a great deal.


	16. Another Shop

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 16 (Another Shop)

Ann was a woman that looked like she could be a bouncer, tall and husky with tattooed arms and a cigarette in her hands. She looked Mexican but said she was actually from Cuba. Trina figured her age was around forty or fifty, much older than Sandra.

When checking the schedule, she saw herself set to work on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday closing. "Double shifts." She scratched her chin and raised her eyebrows up. "Sandra's store during lunch, here to close."

"Is that good?" Ann asked from behind. Trina cast a smile over her shoulder and nodded. More hours meant more pay, and more pay was something she enjoyed.

"It's perfect." She didn't know if she liked the location or not, but the store was simple albeit hotdog shaped. It only had eight tables, five along the side wall and three along the front window. The display case of the line faced the back wall, but the line was set up completely opposite to Sandra's store-with the meats on the left side, veggies on the right and the register beside them.

The bread cabinets and oven were directly behind the meat side.

The back of the store, where all the shelves, supplies and whatnot was attached sideways as well. At the very least, it wouldn't take as long to close. "I'm closing with someone tonight?"

"Yeah. Sammy." Ann put her hands to her hips and curled her lips. "He's alright. A bit slow, but he's my regular closer."

"Okay. Strange, Sandra only has one person closing." Ann raised an eyebrow and leaned back with a surprised huff. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Stock the chips, pull the bread. For me, eight trays of wheat and six trays of white." She nodded and looked at the list of workers she had. Sammy, Opal, and Jada. Ann moved her hands to her back and cracked her head from left to right. "He's in high school. A lot of them are."

"Not surprising."

"Yeah." She snapped her fingers and pointed. "Jada, you'll be closing with her at some point. She's on her way out the door. Opal's great, but she's chaos behind the line." Trina looked back at the line with wide eyes and spotted veggies thrown all over, meats in the wrong bins.

"Wow."

"She's fast, she also thinks she knows how to do everything. I love her to death, but damn." Ann pat Trina on the shoulder and smirked. "Anyway, great to have you here. Sandra says you're a great worker."

"I am." Her eyes lit up and she flashed a toothy grin.

"Great. I think you'll do just fine, and if you have any questions or any problems, text me."

"I will. Thank you."

Sammy was a tall guy with skin the same color as Andre, if not a touch darker. He was leaner and came across as less nervous. However, his ways of doing the job were odd; where he would help Trina when she asked where something was during the closing procedures, he stayed mostly at the dish station, washing the dishes.

She handled most of the customers until she had to start pulling bread from the freezer into the cooler. As Sammy handled the customers, Trina would look up and check on things.

A moment came during the night when she looked up from the trays of bread sticks to the road outside, and she saw a dark truck with the custom flames flying by the store. "Beck," she uttered too loud for her intentions. Sammy looked away from the line at her with confusion.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." She shook her head and watched the customer walking to the register as Sammy finished wrapping their sandwich. Once the customer was gone and Sammy walked closer to her, she stepped in his path and looked seriously into his eyes. "Sam, if anyone comes in here asking about me…you don't know who I am and as far as you know, I don't work here."

No one other than Jason and her father should know she was helping at this store, so of course she wanted to mention if they came by, Sammy could call her over. Beck likely had little clue or care that she was helping _this_ location, so she didn't feel any threat coming her way from him.

"Shouldn't happen but if that someone is a guy with dark hair and a shady appearance, _definitely_ _do not_ let him know I am here." Sonny raised an eyebrow and nodded, seeming to understand.

"Want to tell me what it's about?"

"No. Sorry, I can't, just please…"

"Alright, no problem." She hoped Beck speeding by wasn't a sign of trouble and that he wasn't trying to find her for whatever reason.

As the time passed, Trina found herself doing a great deal of the work, but she didn't mind. On the contraire, she enjoyed the work and preferred doing more. She felt like Ann left her in charge, and that was nice.

By the time they locked up and managed to do the count of all the bread, it was pushing 9:30 when they had to get done. Sammy didn't hit the 'end day' like Ernie had shown her, nor did he wipe the line. She was concerned as to why this was and started to not bother him with it, but decided against.

"I thought we were supposed to hit the end day and wipe the line down. Why aren't we?" Sammy waved his hand in the air and shook his head.

"Ah I don't worry about it," he replied, "Whoever's opening can wipe the line." Trina looked to the empty line where all the food had been and scrunched her nose while imagining the smell of the foodstuff in the morning. "As for closing the day, I don't like closing the day because it goes through a backup thing that takes forever…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, come on, I'm gonna hit the alarm now." He walked off and Trina took one fleeting glimpse at the line before reluctantly following him. She knew once the alarm was sat, they had a limited time to get out the door before it would start going off once they opened it.

She stopped at her car for a moment, hesitating as a nervous sensation paralyzed her. Headlights were zooming past her and zipping beneath the underpass. The tiny parking lot was empty, but still unsettling, and the corner of the building had white lights shining out from behind it.

A chiming noise startled her and she grabbed her phone quickly, relieved that it was only a text. _"Hey. How'd yours shift go?"_ It was from Jason. Her heart swelled and she replied back with a smile. _"I'm at the Atomic Gym downtown if you want to hang for a bit."_

"I'd be glad to," she replied back before getting into her car. She tapped her fingernails on the steering wheel and bit down on her lip. Near the corner, she saw the pair of white lights move and saw a dark truck pulling out after she started up her engine.

She drove to the gym, having remembered her conversation with Jade earlier. When she found Jason, he was in a section with benches and weights. It was near difficult to find him since he blended in wearing a white tank with long black sweats. The barbell had on a large number of weights, to which in her excitement on seeing Jason, Trina didn't bother counting.

"Jason!" Jason dropped the barbell onto the bench's holder with a loud grunt and sat upright, grabbing a white rag from nearby. He wiped his face and smiled as she made her approach. "How come you didn't come by the store?"

"I've been here for the last two hours." He stood slowly, wiping the sweat from his arms and hands with the rag. "I figured my sweaty self would just stink up the place and disturb any customers there." He smirked teasingly and bounced his shoulders. With a smile, she rolled her eyes and threw her arms around him.

"I'm so glad to see you." She gave him a peck on the lips and leaned back slowly, humming softly. He relaxed his muscles and slid an arm down around her waist.

"Me too. It's nice and cool outside, you want to go sit down at one of the tables on the patio out back?"

"Sure." She stepped out, sliding her hand into his and let him guide her to a table outside.

Trina curled her hair behind her ear after sitting down and crossed her legs. "I hate to bring this up first thing, but I want to get it out of the way so I can just enjoy being with you…" Jason sat and raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"Jade came by earlier. Jade West." He furrowed his brow and folded his forearms on the table. His body was bent towards her and his eyes were focused and attentive.

"She causing you any problems? Was your sister with her?"

"No. No, it was just her."

"What'd she want?"

"To learn a martial arts skill." His eyebrows rose but his lips remained closed and firm. Trina raised her eyes to his and smiled faintly. "With you. She came to as if that was alright, and I said I'd talk to you."

"I'm always accepting new students. Seems weird the girl would ask for me just after hearing about us."

"That's what I thought, but I think she might be genuine about wanting to learn." Trina set her hand on top of his and rubbed his hand with her thumb. "She said you were the only one she knew about, but I know she could have found a dojo anywhere…I think it might have more to do with the connection to your Uncle."

"Oh?"

"It makes sense. To me anyway. She's hurting, she wants Beck back, and maybe she's looking for a familiar connection. When she was your uncle's student, everything was 'normal' for her, no one was different."

"You think she's holding on to the past?"

"Yeah, that's what I think it is. She doesn't know, or she's in denial, that the world's different." It was odd considering Jade's degree in psychology, but it always seemed like Jade majored in that in order to try and understand her own feelings.

"I am nothing like my uncle, Trina. I don't teach like he did, I don't talk like he did, nor do I act like him."

"I know. He had his way, but you have to admit…he saved people." Jason smiled gently and bowed his head. "He saved you. He kept my sister and her friends sane-maybe prolonging the inevitable, but he was the reason they solved their fights a lot of the time. He was a good man, and so are you, and I think that's what Jade's trying to connect to."

"I'm trying to gauge your comfort level. I know how you feel about her, so while I'm accepting to new students, I don't want to take her in if you're uncomfortable."

Trina took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I'm petrified that I'm wrong, that it could be an attempt by Jade and Trina to try and dissuade you from me…" She clenched her hand around his and opened her eyes partially, gazing into his soft yet strong expression. "Yet I trust you." A sniffle escaped her and she quickly cleared her throat. "I don't know how, I don't know why, but I do. You're strong enough, you wouldn't let someone talk you out of dating me would you?"

"Of course not." He raised his hand, grooming her hair back and gazing tenderly at her. "I haven't wanted anyone like I want to be with you, there's no one that could turn me away." He chuckled softly and leaned forward, kissing her forehead and speaking with a whisper. "I'm in too deep, and I love it."

Her cheeks burned hot as she leaned back, breathless. They held each other's gaze for a long time, speaking as little as possible.

Finally the silence was broken and Jason sighed. "I wanted to bring something up myself…" Jason lowered his shoulders and leaned back into his chair. "You mentioned Beck, how Jade wanted to hook up with him again?" Trina nodded once and Jason poked a thumb over his shoulder. "After I got off, I went over to Subway, probably an hour after you left."

"Uh huh?"

"I saw Beck there. He was chatting with this brunette that I didn't recognize, she seemed fairly into him." Trina raised her eyebrows and folded her forearms.

"Really? Maybe he's finally moving on. What happened?"

"I didn't pay much mind, just got my sandwich and left. By that time, they were leaving together in his car, I think that was the next time I saw them." It was a surprising turn of events, leading her to question just what it meant.

If Beck was moving on, then it was a huge relief for her, but part of her felt there was more to it than that. "He always had a way with women though. It was part of why Jade was so paranoid, because women flocked to him. He never had trouble getting them to want him. Given how creepy he's become, I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing."

"You think maybe we should tell someone?"

"It's probably nothing." She waved her hand and sighed. "He's probably moving on. Besides, I want as little to do with him as possible…"

* * *

What are your thoughts? How do you think the night shift at Ann's store went? Was Sammy right to leave things as is, or should that have been done? What do you think of what was mentioned in the end, regarding Beck? Is this a sign he's moving on, or something else, and what was the odd feeling Trina had before? Lots to think about


	17. Conflicted Sister

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 17 (Conflicted Sister)

"This is your house?" Trina followed Jason into what used to be Mr. Sikowitz's apartment. Much of the furnishing was the same as how Tori said it was many years ago, with the sofa's back to the walk in kitchen and it's face to the glass back door. The recliner had it's back to a door that, at the time, was Mr. Sikowitz's bedroom.

There was a wall with a walkway that was adjacent to the kitchen, inside this walkway were stairs going up. "Yep." Jason shrugged and made his way to the couch. "When my uncle was sick, he updated his will, giving me the apartment so long as I can keep up with rent."

"That's good." She smiled and sat beside him. It was a nice bachelor pad, enough for a single man of Jason's stature. She was curious where Jason's mother was, but he hadn't talked much about her and she didn't know whether to ask or not. His mom was Sikowitz's sister, and from what she could recall, Sikowitz never spoke of her. "You know. I was wondering…" She cuddled against him and looked up to him as he put an arm around her shoulders. "You said Mr. Sikowitz took you in, and Cat says all those years ago he stated you were staying while your parents were out of the country."

"That's right. Mom and dad decided to stay out of the country, they didn't come back to deal with me because of what I had gotten involved in." She stuck out her lower lip and looked down. "They thought I was a 'bad seed'." He took a deep breath and she could feel his arm beginning to tense. "They thought I was hopeless, I'd live and die on the streets. A 'failure as a son'."

"Jason…" She was sorry she brought it up. On one hand, it was important to talk about these things, but on the other hand she didn't want to upset him. "I'm sorry I brought it up." He looked at her with a smile and shook his head.

"Don't be. If we're going to be together, you deserve to know who I am, or who I used to be." His muscles relaxed as she placed a gentle hand to his chest. "My uncle believed in me, he saw something and went out of his way to help me." Jason looked off at the wall and Trina followed his gaze. Her heart grew still and calm when she saw a framed photo of Mr. Sikowitz and Jason standing together. "I don't know where I'd be if not for him…"

"Do you still get angry? Is there any violence at all?"

"No. I've learned to be a lot calmer, but I never got angry or violent with anyone I cared about." She was relieved, though no surprised, to hear this. "Now if someone were threatening someone I cared about, it might be hard for me to stay calm."

"That's normal though. You're protective. No one can fault you for that. As long as I know you'd never hurt me, that's all that matters." His eyebrows rose sharply and he raised a hand to her face, cupping it gently.

"I would never do anything to hurt you." She closed her eyes and leaned in to his touch. "Now." He lowered his hand and smirked playfully. "Anyone that does hurt you, I can't promise the same." She leaned back, laughing loudly. Jason watched with a serene expression, then rose from the couch. "I had something cooked for dinner, but ended up burning it terribly."

"Aw, that's too bad."

"I'm normally a good cook." He stopped halfway to the kitchen and raised a hand. "Half-decent cook." Trina pushed her hands down her legs and slid them between her knees, lacing her fingers together.

"I'm a terrible cook myself. Simple meals, I can make, but complicated ones aren't easy for me without some sort of instructions." She looked over her shoulders and watched Jason carry a try of overly burnt chicken breast to the trash can. Her hand rose over her mouth, stifling a laugh. "I'm guessing you had backup?"

"Yep." He pointed to the large crockpot sitting on the stove. "When all else fails, go for pot roast." Trina stood up and made her way to the kitchen, watching as he lifted the lid and began to stir with a ladle. "Did I say I was a good chef?" He grinned from ear to ear and pointed to an open cookbook. "I'm cookbook trained!"

She laughed again and reached into the pot, taking a bit on her finger and licking it. "It tastes good," she said with a smile. "How did you kill the chicken?"

His shoulders dropped and he let out a sigh. "Fell asleep on the couch…" She winced and looked at the pot roast.

"Well…" She placed a hand on his wrist and began to encircle him, sliding her hand up along his forearm. "I promise to help keep you awake, but it's going to cost you." He raised his eyebrows and turned to face her, chuckling softly. "One kiss?"

"Well okay." Jason placed his hands on her hips and leaned forward, tenderly kissing her lips. Trina's eyes fluttered shut and she leaned against his chest, pushing her own energy into the kiss.

After dinner, they cuddled together on the couch and put on a movie. Commercials were present but few, which left them time to chat. There were leftovers from the pot roast; it was warm and delicious. "So I talked to Miss Ann earlier. About the other night with Sammy."

"Oh? How'd that go?"

"I asked about whether or not it was necessary to close out the day and to wipe down the line at the end of the day. She said it is important, that the opener doesn't do that and shouldn't have to."

As a matter of fact, Ann told her to do whatever Sammy didn't get to. Close out the day, wipe the line, and anything that was missed. "So the next night, I made sure to do that. Sammy's cool, but he seems to keep to himself a lot."

It was the third day that she closed that she found herself enjoying it there at Ann's store. She sent the woman a message saying she'd like to help out more if she could, and said the same to Sandra, for whom the message got mixed.

Thinking on the mix-up, Trina couldn't help to chuckle. "I let Sandra know I wanted to help Ann's store more often and she got scared I wanted to leave her store. I let her know I just enjoyed helping other managers out when I could."

"Good. It's more hours, anyway, and more pay. At least you let Sandra know." He tilted his head and hummed. "Will she be able to coordinate?"

"Oh yeah, I wouldn't want to not let her know or let her remain in control." She turned her back against the side of his chest and raised her legs up on the couch. Her arms folded over her abdomen and her eyes closed slowly. She felt Jason's hand slide long her forearm and smiled. "Sandra's store is my home store, no matter what. Nothing could make me want to leave that store."

"Have you checked for any jobs in your career field?" Her breathing stilled and her eyes opened up partially. She didn't want to admit she hadn't been looking; it was just a matter of falling in love with her job.

"I've become attached to my job at Subway, but I could use more hours I think." Jason hummed and nodded once. She leaned her head back and raised her eyes to his chin. "I'm just waiting to have some experience under my belt so I can put that on my resume…"

"Understandable. The important thing is you enjoy what you're doing. Don't forget your goals, but if goals change, then that's also understood." Her heart skipped. Happy for his support, she flipped over and pushed herself up, kissing him once more.

His hand rose and curled underneath her chin, pulling her towards him a bit. Her arms wrapped around his neck. Trina groaned softly as the swiftness of her heart beat in sync with his.

Her body leaned back, her arms tugging him with her. They landed on the sofa cushion and pushed against the arm rest. Jason's hand moved to the couch beside her, gripping the fabric firmly between his fingers.

Behind them, she heard what she thought was a latch clicking, but she dismissed it. No sooner than half a minute later did a force tear Jason away from her. "That's enough of that," someone growled. Trina gasped out and pushed herself upright. Her eyes landed on the fiery brunette in sparkly pink boots, white pants and a pink tank.

"Tori, what the hell!"

Jason ran his hand over his neck and groaned. "I could have sworn that door was locked." Trina crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. She glanced off to the side and saw Cat shuffling in.

"Cat? What's going on here?"

Cat shrugged and raised her head. "Okay, so Tori wanted to know where you were and texted me that you weren't answering your phone. I said you were with your boyfriend. Next thing I know, she texts she's coming over, so I figured I may as well come to make sure nothing happens."

"You could have texted…"

"I did." Cat pointed at the purse on the end table and cleared her throat. "Check your purse?" Trina grabbed the phone from her purse and noticed she had five missed texts. The latest one was from Cat. She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

Tori put her hands to her hips and glanced around the house. "So, Mr. Sikowitz's old place…still looks the same." Her voice was soft, but grew sharp in an instant. "Anyway, not here to reminisce."

"What do you want, Tori?"

Tori's hands clasped and wrapped around her waist, and her high pitched voice seemed to rise. "I'm here to steal your boyfriend, what else?" Tori scoffed and Trina jerked her head back, taking too seriously her sister's sarcasm. "I want to talk to the guy. You're dating some dude and haven't even told me or Dad much about him."

"I've told Dad."

"Of course you have." Tori rolled her eyes. "Daddy's favorite."

"That's you, Tori, not me."

"Is that what you think? Really?" Tori scoffed once more and raised a hand up, flexing her fingers. "You know? Whatever. First thing." She pointed to Jason and narrowed her eyes. "You're home, my sister's with you, why is your front door locked? Huh?" Jason rolled his head to the right. His shoulders rose and his chest expanded.

"I don't know." He crossed his arms and squinted at Tori. "Don't want people breaking into my house."

"Smartass."

"Thank you." Trina stifled a laugh, shaking her head. Jason flashed a smile and nodded to Trina. "Nice to meet you."

"We've met. Briefly. I'm sure you remember the cop costume." He raised an eyebrow and Tori jerked a finger at Trina. "If the two of you get any ideas about role playing…" Tori closed her eyes and groaned. "I don't even-onto the point-I've been doing some research. Trina, do you know anything about Jason?"

"Yeah." Trina leaned sideways and raised an eyebrow. "He told me he was involved in the wrong crowd, he'd gotten into fights in the past and so on." Tori blinked and Trina looked on smugly.

"Okay, so isn't hiding anything from you. But…" Tori walked towards Jason, looking him in the eyes. "What are your intentions with my sister? Why are you dating her? What do you want?" Trina's eyes enlarged and she started to rebuke Tori, but stopped as Jason calmly replied.

"I'm dating her because for the first time in a very long time, I've met someone that I want to spend my time with." He didn't need Tori's permission to date her, and Trina certainly felt this wasn't her sister's place to start critiquing Jason. "I care deeply for her, in a way I have never felt towards anyone."

"Okay." Tori let out a curious hum and paced to the right. "So she intrigues you."

Jason smiled gently and glanced at Trina. "Very much so." The blood rushed to Trina's cheeks and her hand moved to Jason's leg.

"He's a good man," Cat chirped from behind. The redhead's fiery gaze fell upon Tori, and her lips were twisted. "I don't think he or Trina appreciates the harassment."

"It's not harassment." Tori uncrossed her arms and swept her hand towards Jason. "I just want to know who the hell is this guy dating my sister. Sure he's Sikowitz's nephew, but what do we not know about him?"

"You don't have to know everything about the guy. He's not your boyfriend, he's Trina's, and she's old enough not to need you hovering or breathing down her neck." Cat pushed sideways against the wall and looked to the photograph on the wall with a somber gaze. "Hell. You're the little sister, not her. After all these years of putting her down, you think you can just start acting like you give a shit now?"

Tori growled and poked an accusing finger into the air. "You don't know anything, Cat."

"I know barging into this house and confronting your sister and her boyfriend is no way to help anything."

"I'm not being confrontational."

"You _are_ being confrontational. You've always been confrontational whenever things weren't going how you think they should be."

Tori started to raise her voice, then paused. She raised her hands and breathed in, closing her eyes and lowering her voice. "Okay. This isn't about me." Tori lowered her hands and pointed at Trina and Jason. "This is about my sister getting a boyfriend and not telling me."

"Does she have to tell you? What are you, your sister's keeper or something?" Cat chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Get a life, Tori." It was harsh, but someone had to say it. Trina wasn't sure what to make of everything that was going on, and she certainly didn't appreciate her sister barging in on her.

Jason started to stand and she reached for his hand, clutching it tight and pouting her lip at her. "Don't go," she said quickly. He smiled at her and motioned to the kitchen.

"I'm just going to do the dishes. I'll let you guys iron things out." She let his hand go with a sigh of defeat and watched as he made his way to the kitchen.

"I'm confused." She shook her head and looked back to Tori. "Cat's right. All these years picking on me, why do you even care if I have a boyfriend?" Tori looked away and scoffed. "I mean what, is it one of those 'saw him first' jealous moments?"

"What?" Tori snapped back and shouted out defensively. "Hell no."

"Could be," Cat replied, "Before I dragged him off, Tori was clearly into him." Trina frowned and Tori rolled her head around, rubbing her neck slowly.

"Come on, even Jade thought the guy was hot. He was a muscular, attractive boy and all us girls were curious." Tori uncrossed her arms and growled. "That isn't the point. I don't give a damn that Jason's the guy you're dating, I just want to know. I mean, I'm your sister, shouldn't you share these things with me?"

Cat stepped between them, flicking her hand into the air. "No." Tori jerked back and scowled. "You let everyone bully your sister, so she has every right not to share anything with you at all."

"Excuse me, but I was talking to Trina."

"And now you're talking to me. Deal with it."

Seeing the tension and seeking an escape, Trina stood up and moved into the kitchen with Jason. She sidled up next to him, put an arm around his waist and placed her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Jason."

He kissed her head and smiled. "Don't worry about it. It isn't your fault."

"I have no idea what Tori's doing here." It couldn't be just that she was out with him, there had to be something else compelling Tori to search for her. "Maybe Jade's not home or something. Has she gone to your class yet?"

"Jade? Yeah, she hasn't spoken much and stays in the back of the classroom, but that's alright."

"Yeah." Trina pulled her phone up and frowned at the missed texts list. "There's something from Dad. I hope everything's okay."

"If you want to go check on him, you can."

She ran through the message, grimacing at its content. Evidently Linda had gone over and started trouble at the house. Tori was over as well and had been trying to contact her. "Maybe I should, but let me run my sister and best friend off before they go to blows over there."

They glanced at the pair, seeing them locked in a heated glare. Jason clicked his tongue and turned back to the dishes. "Quite a change, going from your sister's friend to yours. That must have been some fight five years ago."

"More than you know." Cat told her once that she always disagreed with Tori and her friends when it came to bullying, but because she felt insecure and the weaker of the group, she remained quiet and let things happen. Once the fight split everyone up, and after her brief stint with her roommate, she got strong enough to stand up for herself and what she believed was right.

That said, her dislike of the group only grew and she befriended Trina, at first, because of guilt over years of mistreatment.

"Think they'll ever reconcile?"

"No clue. Beck and Jade would almost stand more of a chance of reconciliation at this point, but the impossible has happened." Trina approached Tori and Cat, shooing them with her hands. "Come on guys, time to go. I'm leaving to check on Dad, so you guys can't stay here and bother Jason."

"Fine," Tori replied. The girl moved for the door and made one final look at Jason. Trina rolled her eyes as she made her way out the door, not paying much attention to her sister's final words. "You seem like a good guy, but I'll be watching. If anyone hurts her, they're toast. I may not look like much, but don't test me."

* * *

Tori knows how to make a dramatic entrance at the oddest of timing. I didn't have a great title for this but that's not too important. What are your thoughts on the things here? It seems Tori does care about Trina deep down, enough that she's protective. Oddly, Cat thinks Tori's full of it while Beck seems to imply he knows she cares about her. Is Cat's ire misplaced, and should Tori really be getting so protective? What more, whatever drama's going on with David, we're certainly about to learn something else I'm sure...


	18. Anger and Rage

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This is in the eyes and perspective of Tori. We have some flashes of the past here and we'll learn a little more about where Tori stands and what happened in the past.

* * *

Chapter 18 (Anger and Rage)

Tori watched from her car, pushing her tongue into her left cheek while slowly tapping her left finger on her steering wheel. "You know she's just being protective, right?" Jade's voice drew her narrow eyes away from the girls outside and to her roommate. "Cat probably didn't mean anything by the things she said."

"She meant them. You weren't there, you were at the store." Tori picked the girl up from the store on the way over, so Cat and Trina were waiting for her in the front yard. Cat was pacing back and forth, flapping her gums while Trina stood still, shaking her head.

"They're waiting on you, but I'm not sure what you're waiting for."

"I'm biding my time, making sure the old bat isn't still in the house." She had to practically force Linda out of the house earlier, but when she left, the woman could have gone back in. "As for Dad. Sorry, but I've never been able to accept him."

"Was it even his fault?"

"No, but he let us go on for so long. I found out on my own, told Dad he needs to tell Trina or I would." Jade's lips twisted and she leaned back slowly, giving her an unsure look.

The car radio played its next song, _Demons_ by Imagine Dragons, drawing Tori's gaze to the radio. Her voice softened as she let the lyrics fill the car.

"He says he's been protecting her, I'd like to think I am protecting her too, but protecting someone by omission is never the answer."

"It's one of those things though…one of those things that maybe omission _is_ better." Jade crossed her arms and shrugged. "I mean, look at you." Tori lifted her head and hummed. "You found out and he told you what happened, but for some reason you only accused and blamed him, then took off. All the anger you had in you damaged everyone…"

"Everyone? Just who do you mean?"

"Think about it…" She took a deep breath and fell back against the chair, sighing in defeat as her eyes closed and the lyrics of the song filled her head. Her mind started to wander and Jade's nagging began to fade.

 _"_ _I'm never coming back," Tori growled into her phone as she paced the dark downtown streets. Her father sounded weak and desperate, but she was too angry to care. "You're a liar, hiding the truth and pretending to give a damn while you hide away in your office."_

 _"_ _Tori please…It isn't like that, I just-"_

 _"_ _Save your damn excuses. I'm through. I'm not going to go to college, either, and I want nothing to do with your money."_

 _"_ _Where will you even go?"_

 _"_ _I'll figure it out." Her lips tightened together and her eyes scanned the surrounding area. "How can you truly love us, given what happened?"_

 _"_ _What happened doesn't make you who you are. What happened wasn't even-I can't talk about this."_

 _"_ _You couldn't talk about it all this time, but you can't get the hell over it either." He went silent, but the phone call was still active. "I don't know what you were thinking, not telling us sooner rather than letting us find out on our own."_

 _Holly was gone now, having left Tori even angrier in the process of taking off. They fought about her cheating on David with Gary, and her deciding to leave him for the guy. When Tori called the woman a bitch, Holly shot back and essentially stated her entire life was a lie and Holly never loved David, but pitied him._

 _As Tori hung up the phone, she thought about her friends. Andre said he couldn't have her move in with him since he was fixing to take off and find his own family. Robbie was too awkward, and Cat didn't want to have another roommate besides Sam._

 _As for Beck and Jade, they were about to get a place together._

 _Tori spotted Beck's car down the street and saw him walking with a girl dressed like a prostitute. "Oh, what's this?" Tori jumped behind the corner of a nearby building and poked her head out. She recognized the girl from school and knew this must have been the person he was helping. "Beck would cheat on Jade anyway, so even if this wasn't someone he was seeing…"_

 _Impulsively, she began snapping pictures. If Beck was out of the picture, Jade might actually need a roommate, and she wasn't about to go move back in with her father._

 _Not a day later, Tori called the group over to the house, eager to get this done. Anger still coursed through her veins, blinding her judgment and concern. "As you can see..." Jade's mascara was running and Beck had grown very still while Andre and the others shuffled through her photographs. "Beck is using prostitutes."_

 _"_ _That's a lie," Beck muttered, "I wouldn't cheat on Jade." Trina and Cat were standing near the bottom of the stairs, their eyes wide and filled with disbelief. Andre looked up at his friend, wincing painfully._

 _"_ _I thought you were better than this, Beck." Andre lowered his hand and raised his voice. "Hookers, man? What, are you on drugs too?" Tori put her hands to her hips and raised an eyebrow._

 _"_ _Wouldn't surprise me."_

 _Beck did a double take, fire burned in his eyes and his teeth started to grind together. "Why are you doing this, Tori?"_

 _"_ _Doing what? Showing Jade the truth?" Tori walked forward and looked down at the girl. "That she can't rely or depend on a pathetic loser like you?" Beck puffed himself up and threw a finger at the photos._

 _"_ _That is a friend that I'm only trying to help."_

 _"_ _Yeah, right, helping her in the middle of the night," Tori replied snarkily. "She looks like she just had sex. It looks like you really helped yourself out there."_

 _"_ _Excuse me?" Beck's roar filled the air and he started to charge, raising his hands. "She was fucking assaulted by a middle aged guy." His hands clamped around her neck and slammed her against the wall. "Don't you fucking talk about my friend like that!"_

 _"_ _Dude!" Andre and Robbie grabbed Beck, yanking him off just as his hands had been constricting around Tori's throat. Tori pushed her hand against his chest and twisted her lips into a smirk as she watched Beck fume._

 _"_ _Don't listen to her! She's a conniving wrench, guys." He was thrown to the ground. Andre and Robbie stood over him, glaring down like the shadows of skyscrapers._

 _"_ _I can't believe you'd put your hands on her," Robbie remarked, "What the hell's happening to you?"_

 _"_ _Nothing!"_

 _"_ _You've changed."_

 _"_ _The hell I am." He pushed himself up and shrugged his arms. "If anyone's changed, it's her. Taking a situation out of context. You can't tell me you believe her bullshit."_

 _Andre pushed the photos onto Beck's chest and snarled. "I don't know what to believe man. I thought you were better than this. All these years, being patient because Jade had no reason to be paranoid about you, but now this?"_

 _"_ _Are you kidding?" Beck started to move towards her once more, but Andre stopped him by holding him back. "Get off me Andre."_

 _"_ _Screw you man." Andre pushed him back and started moving him to the door. "I think we're done here."_

Tori opened her eyes and drew out an exhale. "Do I feel bad? Yeah I do." She looked at Jade, who was rubbing her arm and staring down at her feet. "I know I let my anger get the better of me, and I do things I shouldn't or wouldn't normally do."

"You do have to learn to control it. I mean, barging into your sister's boyfriend's house-cussing out your dad for something that wasn't his fault when instead you ought to be grateful he did everything he could to raise you two…When you're angry, you go on the warpath, and screw anyone that gets in your way."

She leaned back, letting her body sink into the chair. "Yeah…"

The fight had only been the first in a series of fights where Beck tried to come back. Eventually he gave up, but that hadn't been the last.

Tori looked out the window, staring at Cat with a twitching lip. The redhead looked at her with momentary disdain, then looked away.

The final fight, the final damage came from Cat herself. The one person Tori never thought would be assertive had grown from her timid personality thanks to her roommate.

 _The girl was dead. Tori couldn't believe what she was hearing. Beck's friend killed herself for nothing. Cat stood before her with Tori's photographs in her trembling hands. "You lied about everything, and why? Why'd you do it?" Cat narrowed her eyes and raised her head. "What selfish reason did you have for ruining your best friend's relationship by lying about an innocent girl?"_

 _"_ _Needed a place to stay." She wasn't heartless, but shocked by the coldness of her answer. Cat scoffed and set the papers down onto the table._

 _"_ _I'm telling everybody what you did."_

 _"_ _Whatever. It doesn't even matter now. Beck's gone."_

 _"_ _You know something, Tori? I knew you could be selfish, I knew you could be vindictive, but I didn't think you'd go this far." Tori rolled her eyes and turned away from her. "Maybe you should at least tell Jade the truth."_

 _"_ _What?" She felt a paralyzing fear rush through her and turned onto Cat with a virulent growl. "No. Don't you dare tell her, she's already gone through enough."_

 _"_ _Yeah, because of_ you _."_

 _"_ _Even still." She couldn't lose her roommate, otherwise she'd end up having to move back home. "Beck was with prostitute, whether he was helping her or not. He might have cheated on Jade eventually…I was doing her a favor."_

 _"_ _A favor! Seriously?" Cat latched her hand around her waist. "That's it, if you don't tell Jade the truth, I'm going to."_

 _Fear gripped her as Cat began to walk away, and on instinct, Tori grabbed the girl and tried to yank her around but instead caused her to fall to the ground. "Don't you dare tell Jade! I'll do that on my own, but not right now." Cat pushed herself up, grunting as she raised her hand to her shoulder._

 _When Tori saw blood, she gasped out and immediately started to scan the floor. Cat struck the corner of the coffee table on the way down, breaking the glass and cutting herself. She cupped her hand over her mouth, and knelt down. "Cat, I'm so sorry!"_

 _"_ _Get the hell away from me," Cat shrieked. Tori jerked back and watched the girl rise. "Fine." Cat panted heavily and narrowed her eyes. "I won't tell Jade. Yet. But that's on you. Too late for the others."_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _Being in Cat's home, since the girl asked her over, she didn't know what to expect. When she looked up, she could see Andre and Robbie watching from the other room. Her heart stopped and the boys averted their angry gazes._

 _They knew the truth now, and that's all Cat appeared to have planned. At this point, however, she knew her friendship with the others had been severed. "Please," she whispered, "Please don't tell Jade. She's the only friend I've got left."_

 _"_ _The two of you deserve each other," Andre replied scornfully. "The two impulsive wretches. Come on Robbie, I'm done here…"_

 _"_ _Yeah man, me too." Robbie followed Andre to Cat's front door, glancing back with a final look of pity. "What about Beck, man? You gonna talk to him?"_

 _"_ _No. I told him before I wanted nothing to do with him anymore, it's too late to go back. Besides, he's been acting different lately, I'm just not comfortable being his friend anymore."_

 _"_ _Yeah…Tori either. If you ask me, they both have anger issues."_

 _Tori's heartbeat stopped and her glare harshly fell onto the smirking redhead. "Is this what you wanted?" She asked. "To destroy my friendship with the guys?" Cat was pressing a towel onto the bloodied cut on her arm, and shrugging._

 _"_ _You did that yourself when you decided to frame one of your friends just to wreck another friend's relationship. You dug your grave, no one else."_

 _"_ _Whatever…"_

Tori averted her eyes and glanced once more at Jade. "Come on," she growled, "Let's get going." She pushed her car door open and stepped outside, studying the house with a new wave of anger. "I guess I'm just as bad as dad, keeping the truth away because I think I'm trying to protect someone from it…"

"You were trying to protect only yourself," Jade answered with a knowing look. "I should have just kicked you out when you told me the truth, but I can't bring myself to force you out on the streets."

"Yeah. Thanks for that." She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

Well, what thoughts have you here? Any observations and opinions? Do tell


	19. Justifiable Lie?: The Scars Run Deep

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This chapter can be triggering, so be aware as you read. This reveals a huge thing, and I've tried to deal with it as tactfully as I could.

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Chapter 19 (Justifiable Lie?)

Trina entered the house to find her father sitting in a near fetal position on the couch. His body was covered in sweat and he was trembling like she'd never seen before. There was a fear in his eyes that left her unsettled and afraid, and she could see his hands attempting to hide something between his lap and torso.

Moving closer, she saw the item was his police standard pistol. Her heart rate increased and she hurried to his side. "What's going on, Dad?" He shook his head slowly, clearing his throat until she looked up and away from him.

Linda was standing in the kitchen with her arms crossed and a smug look on his face. Trina looked back at the front door in time to see her sister glaring and fuming at the old woman.

"What are you doing here?" Tori said with a low growl slicing through her clenched teeth. Jade and Cat exchanged concerned looks and started to reach as though to hold the girl back. Before they could do so, Tori was walking with a strange swiftness across the room. "I thought I threw your ass out earlier, you old witch." Trina's eyes grew as Tori grabbed the woman's arm and yanked her violently to the side. "Get out!"

"Tori! Don't do that to grandma, she-"

"Shut up, Trina." Trina jerked back and her jaw fell open as Tori put her second hand to the back of Linda's head, and with great force, ushered the woman to the door. "You don't know this shrew, and you certainly shouldn't defend the bitch. You think I'm bad? You think Holly's shit for leaving us? You think all the bullying Jade ever did to you-or even my bullying-was terrible?"

Tori shoved Linda out the door, ignoring the elder's protests and cries of disgust. "You haven't seen anything yet." Linda groomed her hair and turned around as Tori grunted.

"How dare you," Linda replied with a calm coldness, "You would injure an old woman? Your own _grandmother?"_

"Oh shut the hell up. I didn't hurt you, and you know it. Besides…" Tori put her hand to the door and narrowed her eyes. "You're not even our grandmother, bitch." Trina pulled her hand to her chest and looked at her father, curious why he wasn't saying anything. The man's eyes were clenched and his cheeks were stained with tears. "A witch like you shouldn't even be roaming the streets. If anything, you should be burned at the stake."

Tori slammed the door and locked the deadbolt.

Cat leaned into Jade, speaking softly, but still heard over the sudden silence resulting from Tori's rage. "You're a psychologist Jade, have you not worked through those anger issues she has yet?" Jade rolled her eyes and brought her hand to her forehead.

"There's nothing I can say or do to fix the problems she has, Cat."

Tori put her hands to her hips, glaring at the two of them for the longest time before turning away. "Alright, Dad." Trina put her arm around David's shoulders and furrowed her brow as he leaned into her.

She was growing more concerned by this odd behavior and knew he needed someone to talk to. Linda's presence must have traumatized him in some way, and it troubled her not to know why.

Tori snapped her fingers. "Let's get this over with, Dad. It's time to tell Trina what's been going on. Do it now or I'll tell her myself…" Trina leaned back slowly, feeling her father's muscles tense and watching his hands rub the pistol tightly.

"Tori," Jade began, "This isn't something that you can force!" Tori rolled her eyes and spun around.

"It's gone on long enough."

"That doesn't matter. It's not his fault and you know it! You have to be delicate with this kind of thing."

"Delicate?" Cat scoffed and twisted towards Jade, her ponytail flying over her shoulder. "Tori doesn't know the meaning of the word."

"Not _now_ , Cat."

"You should know that more than anyone!" Jade rolled her eyes. Tori crossed her arms and sneered at them.

"I know how to be delicate, but there's a time and place. Dad's been lying for twenty-three years."

"It's justified." Jade screamed so loud that the house seemed to shake from the wind in her lungs. "This isn't something you can force, it takes time to heal."

"He's had more than enough time."

"Give me a break! You don't heal from something like that easily. Hell, he may not even be ready to talk about it."

"It's been long enough."

"He's not even to blame. All you're doing is victim shaming!" Tori's arms uncrossed and her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, and you know so much about victim shaming and its consequences. How about those years with my sister, huh?"

Cat jumped in, throwing her arm between the two. "You were as much a part of all that as anyone, Tori." Tori clutched her waist and started leaning back, laughing loudly.

"Is that right? All I wanted was to be accepted by you guy at first. After the first year, I was too afraid of Jade to even bother trying to tell anyone to shut the fuck up."

David's trembling had grown worrisome and Trina was starting to sweat while watching his hands caress his gun. "Why do you even have that?" She whispered to him. He shook his head and pulled it closer to his chest. The nozzle was close to chest that Trina had to push it down, but he was resisting so much she nearly had to force it down. "Dad? Dad, talk to me…"

She was trying her best to ignore the three that were shouting at one another, but she couldn't ignore it's worsening effect on her father. "I don't want to lose my daughter," he whispered. "I can't… I can't breathe."

Cat said something that caused Tori's voice to raise higher. Trina threw her head back and felt a rush of anger overwhelm her. "Enough!" She screamed above the rest. "Stop fighting, damn it!" Tori, Jade and Cat fell silent and an eerie calm replaced their noise. "Christ Tori, can't you even see that Dad's suffering from something? You want to tell me something, want him to say something, but all you're doing is making it worse. I've _never_ seen Dad like this. This is dad we're talking about, not some random run-of-the-mill guy…he's strong, and you're making him weak."

"Excuse me?"

Trina took a deep breath. "Just. Stop." She stood slowly and David looked up at her with tired eyes and let her take his gun away. "Come on Dad, let's go. We can talk…take your time, I won't judge you…" She glanced sharply at Tori and shook her head with disappointment. "Unlike some." Tori's shoulders fell and she bowed her head.

An hour later, after idle driving to calm the nerves, David agreed to pull up to Jason's house and talk to Trina there. It was a safe area and Jason mentioned he'd go to another room if need be.

David and Jason chatted for a bit, and Trina couldn't help to notice he was calming down some. Eventually he joined her at the couch, smiling gently. "I like this Jason kid, you know. I think you found someone good."

"Thanks." She grinned from ear to ear and closed her hands between her knees, stretching her arms. "I really like him." Jason walked downstairs to the refrigerator and Trina quickly swept her hair over her ear, biting her lip and glancing down. "A lot…"

She took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder. "Have you?" She glanced back at David, smiling gently. "Have you ever found someone you feel so…I don't know…head over heels for? Mom, maybe?" David's smile faded and he glanced sideways.

"I…" His breath hitched and he closed his eyes. "It's hard to say-to explain. I've tried to feel something like that, but I can't. Holly tried to be understanding, tried to be patient, but she said once loving me was like 'loving a hollow tree'…"

"Dad." Trina placed a hand on his knee, but he pulled away in almost the instant she touched him. Her hand recoiled and she furrowed her brow. "Talk to me. If you're not ready to say whatever is causing all of this…you don't have to…I know it involves Grandma, but-"

"I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose you like I lost your sister. Your sister left because of it."

"I thought Tori was kicked out."

David dismissed this with the wave of his hand and a soft groan. "She was trying to protect you from the truth, like I was, like I couldn't talk about it. She wanted you to think she'd been kicked out…it was 'better' that way…" Trina moved her hand to her chest and breathed in sharp.

"What's the truth then? She left on her own?"

"She hates me." His voice broke and he started to bend forward. "She hates me for something I couldn't control."

"I don't think that's the case. I think she's just angry about something-I don't know. She's…" Trina looked to the side, twisting her lips in contemplation trying to think of a word to use. "She's high strung."

David wrung his hands together and looked away, scoffing as his entire body tensed. "She was right, I should have said something when the two of you were younger. It's just…It was impossible." He looked at her for several seconds, lowering his hand to hers. "I want you to know, I love you and I'm very proud of you. I have always been proud of you, I have always loved you and your sister from the moment the two of you were born."

Trina smiled sadly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know, Dad. I love you too." She was beginning to sense the trauma that must have occurred. Every time he tensed around Linda, the look in Tori's eyes-there was something there. "You guys don't have to protect me anymore. I hope you know that. If you're trying to protect me from something…"

"I don't want you to hate me, I don't want to lose you."

"You _won't._ " She placed her second hand over his, squeezing it gently. "Whatever it is. We'll get through it." His eyes drifted up into hers and her lips tightened against each other. "This is about Grandma, isn't it? She did something to you…Tori said she wasn't even our grandmother, so what happened? What did she do to you, that makes the father I've always seen so strong and solid shake like you're doing?"

"They say…" He breathed in, tightening his hand around hers. "They say men can't be assaulted." Trina raised her eyebrows and a lump started to form in her throat. "I guess…I guess society figures once they turn eighteen, they're no longer able to be victims of sex offenders, right?"

"No." The word came out with a breath, whether from shock of realization or denial of his statement. He looked up at her and she shook her head. "No, it doesn't matter what gender you are or how old you are. Society's wrong."

"That woman…since I was a child." She gasped, withholding her shock. Her heart broke to hear his story, and while she was curious for more, she knew better than to ask. "When I would get older, she would drug me." His speech grew tense and hoarse, and he had to pause several times to breathe.

Trina squeezed his hand for comfort, knowing full well that any words were going to be useless. She didn't see how or why this would anger Tori in the way that it had, but hearing the tale, she was afraid of where it was headed.

Linda was fairly young for a grandmother, and David himself wasn't very old. He was only in his mid-forties, and had been in college around the time he and Holly started dating-around the time she was born.

Their union came swift after their meeting, but given what Linda had done, there was very little chance that he and Holly would have interacted sexually and married within the first six months of starting to date.

"Oh god." Trina put her hand over her mouth and began to as a new fear gripped her. Nausea clawed at her stomach, stirring the bile and threatening to tear apart her insides. "Grandma-no…Tori-is Tori my sister?"

"More than that." He bowed his head, and with a sigh, ran his hand over the back of his neck. "She's your twin." Trina's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "She was born minutes after you, but-but I was scared and Holly too…when you were two, we had the years changed. Tori had always been small back then, so it was easy."

 _This_ had been the big secret that angered Tori. It had to be. Trina was horrified, but she understood the fear. She didn't understand the reasoning, but perhaps the reasoning wasn't something for her to understand.

"Dad? What happened? Is it…are you willing to talk about it? I will listen." David's nostrils spread apart and his mighty hand rose over his eyes. A sob shook him, so Trina carefully rubbed his back.

"It happened when I was twenty-three. Holly, my father and I were celebrating my birthday. Mom…Linda…drugged all of us that day. It was the last time, Dad put a stop to it after he himself had been drugged." Trina closed her eyes, nodding slowly as if to understand. "I-I found out a few months later…she got…" He put his hands over his face, trembling harder. "She…"

Trina lurched, but swallowed in an attempt to stifle the reaction. She ran her hand over his, squeezing more firmly. "It's okay, Dad." Her tears burned and her nose was beginning to run.

Hate filled her heart, but for Linda and not her father. She was horrified by what happened, and horrified to hear the truth. Now she understood why he had been so distant as she and Tori grew up. "Y-You love us? Tori and myself? Even though we were the product of…of that?" She held her breath, still trying to make sense of it all.

"Of course I do. Holly was angry too, she stayed with me so we could get you and your sister away from that woman-"

"She's no woman, Dad. She's a monster."

He sniffed and shook his head. "It took two years-we wanted to make sure she hadn't…hadn't tried anything…She had." Trina clenched her eyes shut and turned her head away. "Your sister. My dad managed to keep you away somehow, but she hurt your sister. Her development was affected because of it, I guess that's why people didn't question when we said she was the younger. Mentally, she was."

"Oh dad. Please…"

"I can't lose you. I-I can't. I fought so hard to save you both." He gasped out and clutched her hand tight. She had to struggle not to wince from the pain. "Even though I've been distant, I was because I was afraid…afraid to get close. I never wanted to hurt either of you, I just wanted to _protect_ you. Then she started coming around again…your work, our home…"

Her body trembled and the tears shook away from her cheeks. "Dad…" She hugged him tight, burying her face into his shoulder. "You'll never lose me. You're my dad, no matter what-and Holly will _always_ be my mom, even if she doesn't act or think so. I love you, Dad."

David slowly raised his hands and hugged her carefully. He lowered his face into her shoulder, and the anxious trembling in his body began to slow. "I love you too."

Maybe to Tori, the facts involving everything had caused too much damage; or the girl couldn't bring herself to believe that their father cared about them. Perhaps realizing that he and Holly kept a secret her age or even what happened to her when she was a toddler was too much for her to fathom.

Regardless of the horror, Trina was going to do her best to try and accept this. It would be hard, but she would do it for her dad. She knew where she stood, and she knew where he stood.

"I'm always going to be here for you, Dad. Okay?" She pulled back, gazing tearfully into his glossy eyes. "You know that. I'm always going to be here for you." A faint smile graced his face, and he nodded gently. "Good." She wiped her nose with her wrist, then swept her tears away with her thumb. "And if-if Linda _ever_ comes around again, let me handle her. I'll deal with her so you don't have to."

"You're brave."

"So are you, Dad. You're the strongest person I know. I've _always_ thought that, ever since I was a little girl." David's eyes shimmered with joy and his smile started to grow.

"You don't think I'm weak? After everything-"

"None of that is your fault, and _nobody_ should say it is. You're not responsible for what an evil person did to you, you're not to blame for their actions. You didn't influence or cause anything."

From what she understood, this was the reason her grandfather never wanted her or Tori around. This was the reason she always felt different.

She would have to surmise that it didn't matter any longer. She had to be strong for her dad, and strong she would be.

First, however, she would have to deal with Tori.

"Are you ready to go home?" She smiled gently and glanced up as Jason walked into the room. "Hey Jason? Think you could get my dad something to drink?" Jason looked concerned and nodded while making his way to the coffeemaker.

She didn't know how-or if she could-to tell Jason about this. Perhaps it was a conversation for another day. It scared her to the point she was afraid again of not being accepted. She suspected Jason might still accept her, but she needed time to process everything.

After they returned home, Trina guided David to his bed and returned to Tori, who was sitting on the couch. She crossed her arms and stared into her sister's eyes. "Was your lie justifiable, Tori?" Tori raised her head and spoke softly.

"What?"

"Well? Was it?" Trina raised two fingers and growled. "First, breaking up Beck and Jade…and you _know_ if Beck does _anything_ that you're responsible for pissing him off in the first place." Tori's brow furrowed and the girl started to stand.

"Now hold on a damn minute. Beck's not going to do a damn thing!"

"Yeah sure, that's why he's been hanging around my store so much. You know I'm kind of getting worried he might try something?"

"Oh please." Tori rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "If he were going to try anything, he'd go for me, not you."

"Whatever." She brushed her hand into the air. "Then you lied, making me think you were kicked out by Dad, and that's the reason you were so desperate to find an apartment. Instead, you left because you were hurt, angry, and probably scared." She paused, blinking several times as the realization dawned on her.

Tori had left of her own free will. She didn't break Beck and Jade up out of desperation because she had nowhere else to turn, she broke them up just because they could.

"That makes what you did worse!" Tori bit her lip and glanced to the right. "I can't believe you'd do that, Tori…to your friends, to our dad…"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. What can be said?" Trina rubbed her forehead with her thumb and finger, pacing from left to right. "I-I'm disgusted, I'm appalled, horrified…Dad told me everything. You judged him, you couldn't accept him. It's not even his fault!"

"I know that, damn it." Tori shouted above her and slammed her foot on the ground. "I can't help it, okay? I get angry and I lose it. I don't know why." Tori put her hands to her chest and scoffed. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. I wasn't this way before. I didn't have this problem before. It's like I've got something beating into my brain, pounding constantly." Tori stopped with a gasp and raised her hand. "You know I get migraines now? Or I always have, but more frequently. It's aggravating. The pounding. Never ceases."

"Tori…" Trina put her hands to Tori's shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. "I'm going to say this because you're my sister and while you may not give a shit about me, I care about you." Tori's eyebrows closed and her teeth clenched together. "I want you to find help. Somewhere. Whether it's Jade, or even our old counselor Lane, I think it would be a good idea for you to get some mental help from somewhere…"

"Please."

"We could all use some therapy. You know Lane has his own business now, right? For adults."

Tori pushed her away, rolling her eyes. "He's always been full of shit, Trina. A crackpot. You think shrinks are hacks and psychologists are only using depressed people to figure out their own problems, then you haven't seen anything until you've met Lane."

"I mean it. It'll be better for you in the long run if you find some therapy somewhere." Trina took a breath and closed her eyes. Perhaps repressed memories from childhood bled through somewhere along the way. She knew there was a big blowout between Tori and Holly just before Tori left, so it was possible that was when it happened.

"Whatever Trina…" Tori shook her head and rubbed her forehead as she walked to the door. "I hope you and dad had a good heart to heart. If you can accept everything, then great. More power to you."

Her heart sank as she watched Trina open the door. She wanted to reach out and stop her, to try and get through to her.

Tori stepped outside and turned to face her, spreading her hands out. "Meanwhile, I'm…tired…"

* * *

There are a whole lot of things at play here. Different emotions, different outcomes. Trina may have realized she's stronger now if she's able to accept this, but this kind of thing takes healing, and everyone is fractured at this point. Perhaps it might help for them to see that the damage does not start with each other or themselves, but with Linda and those that have caused the initial pain. What do you make of everything?


	20. What's in the Heart

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 20 (What's in the Heart)

"This changes only one thing," Jason said. Trina's breath caught and held in her throat as she studied the softness in his face, and his handsome smile. Her hands were trembling and her knees were weak. "It gives me admire you even more."

Her heart leapt from her chest and she nearly doubled over from the shock, remaining perfectly still as he moved his hand over hers. "I was worried," she whispered, "I was worried you might not want to be with me anymore."

"I care about you, Trina." He squeezed her hand gently. Trina pushed her lips together as her eyes quivered and her heart fluttered in her chest. "More than I've cared for anyone in a long time. I think you're brave for letting me know, and it only makes me l…" He paused, his eyebrows rising as though he were coming to a realization of something.

She swallowed heavily and searched his expression. "What is it Jason?" A serene expression came over him and his hand lifted towards her hair, gently caressing and tucking it behind her ear.

"Even Dad likes you, you know. I wanted to make sure he was okay with me telling you all that…I trust you, and so does he." It said a great deal as well, but it seemed as though Jason understood that.

"I'm glad." Trina leaned against him, closing her eyes and wrapping her arm around his chest. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. The more she thought about it, the happier she was to have someone like him in her life as opposed to her old decision to remain single.

She was falling in love with him, and while it took her some time to understand what this meant, she knew the way she was feeling had to be love. Still she was afraid she was falling too soon. What if he didn't feel that way about her yet? She didn't know.

When she looked into his eyes, she thought she could see the answer, but she was still afraid and insecure. If she asked, it could spell disaster; but if she said nothing at all, she might never know.

"Jason?" She spoke finally and Jason's gaze snapped back to her. He smiled and slowly ran his hand up along her arm.

"Yes?"

"I hope you never let go." His hand swept down her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Meanwhile, at Parker Elementary several miles away, a tall red-haired woman in medical scrubs marched with a police officer in tow. Her scrubs had ducks and stethoscopes patterned on them, and she hugged a clipboard tight to her chest. Her eyes were sharp like a dragon and her lips had permanent frown lines dug in on either side.

The officer behind her had an expression of defeat, but still walked strong despite this. "Holly, as unethical as this is-"

"It is not unethical, Gary. I'm acting on a hunch."

"Hosting 'mandatory checkups' for one entire class of third grade students on a random and unplanned day just because of a feeling is technically…" He ran his hand over his neck and shrugged as Holly threw up her hand.

"Shut up. I've been waiting for five years for this opportunity. The bitch has to slip up somewhere." He complained about her cursing when children were in the vicinity. She watched two young kids chase each other out of a hallway and huffed in reply.

"I gave up my job as a head nurse, harshly pushed away my youngest daughter so she wouldn't follow me, and started working as a school nurse all so I could put this wrench in jail." She turned around and raised a finger to Gary, holding it in front of her narrow eyes. "I am _not_ stopping now that the woman finally slipped up and left town."

Gary rolled his eyes and raised his hand to his face. "Holly, I have nothing to go on. There's no proof, no _evidence_ that a female teacher at this school has been sexually harassing her students. Parents would have complained! Students would be acting differently."

"That crafty witch assaulted my husband for twenty plus years, Gary, and did _anybody_ stop her? Did anyone _know_?" She lowered her clipboard to her side and clenched her teeth. "No. No one knew, not even his father. Not to mention, if it were a male teacher, yeah there'd be complaints. This is a woman-I don't care what you say-no one will take seriously a report that a female 'caregiver' is molesting children."

Gary's head bounced and his eyebrows rose sharply. "That…is true…the police would, but we need evidence to act."

He was annoying her, holding her back without intending to. She knew he was right in some ways, and perhaps he was simply trying to protect her from mistakes costing her a medical license, but she had to do this.

"Gary. As a school nurse, I have a legal duty to act on a suspicion of abuse to a minor." He crossed his arms and smirked, his eyebrows sank down and a hum vibrated on his lips. "If I didn't act, I could be in legal trouble. I could be _sued_ , Gary, so I'm going to do my job."

It might be better if he didn't walk into the classroom with her, but she wasn't sure if that was going to be an issue or not. "Well, if you say so. But there are at least 50 students that she teaches, and more if you're going to consider former students."

"There's no time like the present." With Linda out of town, there was a substitute teacher in place, so these children were going to be safe and without fear of Linda hurting them. "In five years, she's managed to avoid getting sick, avoid scrutiny and anything else-"

"Well you did start stalking the woman…"

"I had to." He didn't know some of the things that she did, as she hadn't said everything. She still had flashes of those days, the days she had to force a wedge between herself and her family.

If David knew what she was doing, he would have been scared to death. If Tori had followed her, the girl would have been at risk. The most painful thing was having to tell Tori everything. She didn't mean to do so in a harsh manner, but when Tori exploded in anger, things escalated and the truth came out in the midst of an argument.

Her daughter might never forgive her, but that mattered little as long as Holly could get this predator off the streets for good.

She stopped in the center of the hallway, glancing left and right before falling against her back on the wall. She looked down at the clipboard she was holding in front of her waist and bit her lip. "Gary." She softened her voice and closed her eyes.

"What?"

Holly raised her head, narrowing her eyes. "About six or seven years ago, there was this child that came into my hospital. A young boy, dark hair, eight years of age. He was so short for his age…" She took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling, remembering in flashes how this boy came into her hospital.

Gary sidled up beside her, crossing his arms and raising a finger to his chin. "He was having trouble with wetting his bed." Her voice trembled and she choked on her words as tears welled up in her eyes. She could feel her chest starting to ache, and tried to swallow the pain swelling in her throat. "His mom and dad said he used to be so sociable at the park, laughing with his family, but he'd become withdrawn and dark. He would draw these pictures…pictures of body parts a boy his age shouldn't be interested in."

Her nose started to burn. Sweat drenched her arms and her neck, and strands of her hair clung to it. Holly felt Gary's body tense, and she looked over to see him clenching his eyes.

"He had a regular babysitter: A family friend named Linda Vega. A woman they met at church. The boy eventually said it was her, all the evidence pointed to her."

"What happened?"

"It went to trial. Her defense attorney tried to pin it on the boy's father, saying she 'witnessed' him 'doing obscene things' with the boy." Holly clenched her fists tight, remembering how angry she'd been.

The boy's father worked at the hospital as an orderly, so she knew him well and like his wife, she knew he never laid a hand on his child. He never would have thought of doing anything to hurt the boy. "There was a panel of jurors, half of them were women, and one was an openly gay man."

"Okay…"

She opened her eyes and glared at Gary with a fire burning in her eyes and her heart. "Not a single one of those women…All of them, and that one man declared her innocent, and would you like to know their reasoning?"

"Why?"

"'A woman wouldn't molest a child', and one of them stated they would have liked to see more evidence to know if the boy's father was responsible. Apparently because a man is more likely to molest a child than a woman is!"

"I'm sorry, Holly…" It was war, and the war had only just begun. "Why act now? Why not before? You've had so many chances."

"She was here. She could sway her students, influence questions. Now she's not here." The spark to fight really only lit up when she realized Linda had gone to LA to check on family.

"I can tell you that while I am in uniform, I don't have jurisdiction here."

"I know that." She was a step ahead. The principal had agreed this was a good route because she laid out her suspicions. The principal, the school counselor, and an officer of this area were already waiting. "I asked how the school didn't fire her when the charges a few years came up, you know…"

"And what happened?"

"The principal now is a guy, but the principal back then was an extremely feministic woman. She didn't fire Linda when the charges came up because she believed Linda couldn't be guilty-when she turned up innocent, she was vindicated and kept her on staff."

What Gary didn't know was Holly was responsible for getting the feminist fired. She didn't do anything directly to sabotage, she only talked to staff and started a petition of potential complaints by other staff members.

There were staff members that were angry about mistreatment because they were men, there were some staff that found her to be too oppressive, and others that complained she said and acted as though she didn't care about the students' well-being.

Perhaps the complaint regarding the principal's alleged decision to keep a teacher accused of child molestation on staff had been the nail in the coffin. Those above the principal-ironically her superiors were made up mostly of women-sent her packing.

"I think you'd be surprised to know I have more sway in this school than you realize." She smirked and walked past him, leaving him confused.

Gary shook his head and followed her to the classroom door. Holly stopped and set her hand down on the doorknob. A stillness filled her and she began to tremble nervously, but that was soon replaced by a sense of determination and fight.

She pushed open the door and the first thing she saw was the principal, counselor and police officer standing at the front. The principal was a tall, thin man with a brown comb-over and goatee, he had a pleasant smile and crystal blue eyes. The officer was a blonde woman with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The counselor was a short heavyset woman with curly brown hair going to her shoulders, and a friendly expression on her face.

The class turned their heads, and all eyes fell onto her. She hoped to find something, but there was always the chance nothing would occur.

Back in LA, Linda angrily slammed her horn while weaving in and out of traffic like a bat out of hell. "Get the fuck out of my way!" She'd been notified by the school's guidance counselor that the school nurse was instigating mandatory checkups for third graders, and needed to get back as soon as possible to prevent this.

The problem was traffic appeared to grow denser as her rage and impatience increased. Stuck behind another car, she swerved into the next lane, cutting off another car. As they honked their horn, she flipped them off.

She drove for another twenty minutes, swerving and speeding until she got stuck behind a large black truck. They were on the freeway, and the truck was going at the same pace as a car directly beside it, so she wasn't getting by no matter what she did.

In an effort to make the truck go faster, she tailgated it and slammed her horn several times. "Speed the hell up you piece of shit!" When she saw the silhouette of the driver look into the rearview, she raised her middle finger and pushed down on her gas.

The driver changed lanes and she cackled out with relief. She sped ahead, flipping her middle finger once more as she passed the truck. When she noticed the custom flames painted on it, she shouted out at the top of her lungs.

"Hey lowlife, why don't you get a real looking paintjob rather than decorating it with shit. No one cares about your fancy coloring!"

The driver looked at her, sneering for several seconds before swerving towards her. "Holy shit!" She swerved away just before getting sideswiped, then slammed the gas while flipping the bird once more.

The truck pursued her, chasing her for three miles before she took an exit. When she turned left onto a road and looked behind, she didn't see the truck.

Another mile down the road, she heard the sound of screeching tires and turned her head to her right in time to see a large black truck barreling down upon her. "Shit!" She closed her eyes and screamed as the truck slammed into her small convertible, pushing it towards a ditch.

She struck her head against the door and pressed her hand against the door handle, screaming in pain as her body felt as though it were being twisted and pounded by sledgehammers.

When it came to a stop, she forced open the door and stumbled out onto the grass. Her vision was blurry, she could smell blood, and felt a quake shooting through her entire body as her heartbeat roared.

Looking up, she groaned as the sky started to darken. "What's going on?" She rasped out her words, groaning as a man in dark clothes and dark hair stepped into view. She could barely make out his appearance, and was slowly drifting in and out of consciousness.

"That ought to teach you," He said with venom in his voice. "You think you're dangerous, but you should look out. There might be more lethal demons out there." He spat, and Linda winced as saliva splashed onto her face. "Bitch."

He walked off and sirens filled the air. It wasn't long before paramedics reached her, but by then, she was losing consciousness entirely.

* * *

A little calm before the storm, if you will. Jason and Trina, revelling in feeling something new. I think they both have come to the same realization. Then we see Holly for the first time, and learn of her true intentions. Finally, Linda. Pissing off the wrong driver, who, if you've paid attention, you know exactly who that driver is. What are you thinking about everything? Maybe Holly will find something, and maybe this time Linda will be put away. Though, can't help but to wonder what Beck's up to these days.


	21. No Fear

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 21 (No Fear)

Tonight was a different night, Ann put Trina _in charge._ She was going to do the count, do the end day, and make sure everything that needed to be done was done. The reason being, Ann didn't think Jada was doing a good job and needed Trina to hold her own.

She had a direct line-if Jada didn't do what was necessary, she was to text Ann. Trina felt confident and eager. She enjoyed being in charge and wanted to do her best. The plan was to have Jada focus on the customers, so she could get the majority of what was needed done.

Ann, and Opal, both complained to her that Jada was lazy-much lazier than Sammy-and wouldn't get anything done if Trina didn't show some backbone. Ann did assign some tasks for Jada to complete, such as restocking the chips and sweeping the lobby. She was also to clean the bathrooms. Trina could, and was able, to handle the bulk of the primary stuff.

"So before I leave you to it…" Ann perched an elbow on the metal shelf at her. "How are things with your new flame? I remember you mentioned something about a girl going to his studio that you didn't care much for…" She saw the concern, so she smiled back with reassurance.

"Jade's not making a move on him, she's too hung up on her ex. Unfortunately." Ann's brow furrowed and she moved her right hand in a circular motion.

"Her ex is the guy you've been worrying about?"

"Not worrying so much as it seems. I'm cautious because he seems dangerous, but he hasn't done anything aside from being creepy." Ann didn't appear satisfied, only taking a deep breath and shaking her head. "But yeah as far as Jade's concerned, she's just taking Jason's class."

"This is a girl that's bullied you for years, right? Someone that was part of a group of people that hurt you over and over again-that same group includes this 'just creepy' guy following you around?" Trina shrugged and turned her head.

She didn't like to remember everything from before; the events that turned her would-be teenage life into a world of chaos. It wasn't much to say she wished she could have had the teenage life everyone had, but she'd done her best to put all those memories to bed.

Ann pulled her arm back, then placed a gentle hand onto Trina's shoulder. "Trina, I'm just saying, the fact that you're not the slightest bit worried…"

"I am." Her gaze softened and her lower lip pouted out. "I don't trust Jade for a minute. There's not a moment goes by I don't anticipate Jade or even my sister being up to something. Not a minute I don't expect one of those group of punks to pop up to hurt me."

"And yet?"

"I _trust_ my _boyfriend_." It was the first she'd ever felt so sure of anything. She took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, pondering her own confidence. With a smile she released the breath. "I've always been suspicious of everyone's intentions, expecting everyone to hurt me, but Jason's different." She hugged herself as her smile stretched across her reddening face.

"There's something…pure about him, something that makes me feel safe-protected. I trust him. I know if Jade tried to move on him, he'd push her away at an instant. I know if Tori tried something, he'd turn away."

"You think very highly of him. That's great."

"I…I think I'm in love with him." Ann's eyes lit up. Trina brushed her right fingers along her left arm, wrapping them around her wrist. She leaned towards the side, chuckling once. "He makes me smile and laugh. He respects me, and I respect him." She whisked her hand up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "That's kind of why I don't want to take his martial arts class."

"Oh?"

"I mean, he'd like me to, I just feel like if I did now after Jade joined, it'd send the wrong message to everyone." Ann crossed her arms and leaned her head to the right. "Tori might try and accuse me of being paranoid and distrustful, Jade might think I've got a problem with her being there, and I don't want Jason to think that I'd only be taking the class to 'watch' Jade or something."

"You wouldn't be, would you? Also, Jason doesn't seem the type to think that about you."

"He's not, but I want to be sure. He's dated this one chick that was crazier than I was when I was younger…I don't want to do anything to cause him to be afraid I'm super jealous or something."

"Right…but there's something else, isn't it?"

Trina hummed to herself and ran her hand over the back of her neck. "Yeah." She gave up on martial arts years ago, she lost confidence when people would tell her she was worthless and terrible at everything. "I used to be athletic, I used to be into martial arts even, and I was good. I thought I was, but I'd had it drilled into me that I was bad at everything…so much…"

Ann raised her hand and jerked a finger towards her, causing her to flinch. "I'm gonna stop you there." She furrowed her brow and bit on the corner of her lip. "That's the victim mentality. Don't be a victim. You were good, you said it just now, and _you_ quit."

"I gave up. Yeah."

"Nobody made that decision for you, did they? Bullies only told you that you were bad, they only caused you to second guess yourself…they put the doubt there, like food, that you went to."

"I…guess so." She never looked at it that way. Ann was right, she did make the decision to quit. She might still be good, but she didn't know. "It's been years. I don't even know if I'm as good as I used to be."

"You'd probably have to practice to get to that point again, but the point is, you'd feel better if you got back into it. Also…understand when I say don't allow yourself the victim mentality, I'm not saying that you are to blame for anything or that you need to 'suck it up' or any of those things-I've been where you are, so I know how it goes. You're strong enough to move forward, you just have to find your way again."

"Yeah no, I understand. I get it." She nodded appreciatively and walked towards the dish sink. "Thank you, Ann."

"It takes time, but you have the support. You just have to find it." Ann tapped her chin twice and chuckled. "Hell, that man you talk about seems like he'd even help you get where you need to be."

"Yeah."

"Anyway, I'll be going now. Text me if you feel anything's going on or if Jada's not doing what she should be, okay?"

"Okay."

"Take it easy, Trina."

"I will."

Trina watched the woman leave and went back to the dishes. The center sink was for rinsing, while the leftmost had the dish soap and the rightmost had the sanitizer. She had a good hour before Jada arrived, and few customers.

When Jada came in, she greeted Trina with a half-smile. The girl had dark skin and dark hair that was up and hanging over a red headband. She was young; still in high school. "So what do I do?" Jada asked.

"Just make the sandwiches for the customers." It was a simple task, and since Ann wanted her to have Jada do only that, with the exception of a few closing procedures, there wasn't much to question. "After a while, I'd like it if you could sweep and then clean the restrooms."

"Okay."

After a while, Trina got to working on putting the bread dough sticks into the liners-five slots in a black rubber tray. Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed a Subway sandwich hat, and when she looked to the line, she saw Jada making someone's sandwich without wearing her hat.

Her stomach churned and her eyes grew large. "Oh god," she muttered, "Put on your damn hat." She wanted to go running in there to take over, but preferred taking the nice route.

Later, a group of officers came in for sandwiches. Jada was taking forever, so Trina went to help. She was happy to do it, but less than thrilled when one of the officers spoke up that Jada hadn't cut the sandwich in half. She glared out the corner of her eyes and saw the girl shrug and move to one of the tables in the back.

She followed the girl after finishing the orders for the police officers and watched the girl slouch and start writing on paper. "What are you working on?" Jada shrugged.

"Homework." A blank expression came over her face and she raised her head. It was inappropriate to work on homework while at work, Jada could get fired for it. "Subway never gives me enough time, and I my paper is due in a week."

Trina wasted little time texting Ann, unsure of how to approach this situation. Ann responded that she would call Jada and tell her to get to work. There were cameras in the store, and managers could see what was going on, so there was little reason to suspect that anything other than such a scenario took place.

Trina stepped out onto the line and watched a customer walk in. He had a familiar face, but one she hadn't seen in years. His wavy brown hair wrapped around his chin, and his thin body seemed to hang back as he walked forward. "Whoa," the man said, "I recognize you. Trina Vega, right? Tori's older sister."

"Yeah," she stammered, "I recognize you but I can't put a name with a face for some reason." The man laughed and raised his hands to his chest.

"Ian. Ian Dennison. Tori's friend at Sherwood." She gasped aloud and threw a hand over her mouth.

Ian was one of Tori's closer friends from back in the day. He'd been over all the time working on science projects, and from what Trina remembered, Tori had a massive crush on him. "Oh my god, I remember you now. It's been so long."

"I know! How's Tori doing these days?"

"She's um-" The truth was probably not a good idea, but she didn't want to lie either. "It has been an incredibly long time, she's not quite the same person she was back then, but I think she'd love to hear from you." Ian's eyes lit up and he started to smile.

"Yeah…Yeah, tell her I said hello."

It might be good for Tori to reconnect with an old Sherwood friend-something that might pull the girl back a little. "It's possible…let me get your number, I'll let you know if she says anything." She didn't know how great the chance was that Tori would want to reconnect, though she had to guess it was an opportunity that even her little sister couldn't pass up. "She used to have the biggest crush on you, you know."

His eyes grew and his face turned red as a tomato. "She did?" She paused, thinking Tori likely wouldn't have wanted her to mention that part. "I-I never knew that. I just assumed she forgot all about me when she went off to that performance school."

"Well…she didn't really 'forget', she just got distracted…"

"Yeah." Ian rubbed his neck and sighed. "I used to have a crush on her too, up until that argument we got into." Trina smacked her lips and nodded.

"I remember. The whole thing with Danny, right?" Ian all but beat the crap out of Danny for cheating on Tori back in the day. Tori had been pissed for days, but she got over it. "They hadn't broken up yet and you just beat her boyfriend up."

"She was right to be pissed."

"How come you never called after she left Sherwood?"

"I don't know…I was annoyed. I mean we had a science project together, and she just abandoned it-abandoned everything-all because she sang on some stage." His eyebrows closed together and his lips fell into a frown. "She threw away everything she _wanted_ to be-a career in science, a normal and simple life, for a flashy dream." He took a deep breath and raised a hand to his forehead. "Did she ever find that flash she wanted?"

Trina glanced down and pulled the left corner of her mouth into her cheek. "No. She's still searching-singing in smoky bars and living off her best friend's money." Ian bowed his head and Trina shrugged. "I've never been one to speak low of her, but I think she could use a dose of reality…"

"Maybe…or maybe she still doesn't know who she is or where she belongs."

Trina jerked her head back, raising her eyebrows up. "You think?" She never thought about that situation, but knowing what she knew now regarding her father, it made sense.

Even before Tori would have found out, she always felt a little lost. Tori got the short end of the stick in life: She was born with serious medical issues, some of which were corrected through surgery when she was an infant, but others remained with her still. The girl had often complained about being the 'weaker sister' growing up, which changed when she finally found her friends at Hollywood Arts.

Suddenly Tori became the stronger sister; the 'favorite'. "Maybe you're onto something there, Ian. I've never even thought about that…"

"I've always noticed that about her." Ian crossed his arms and shrugged. "Whenever we hung together, she would have this depression she was going through. She was always so sad, so I did what I could to make her feel better. I did that sometimes; I could make her laugh, make her smile, and I loved those moments because that's when I saw her true self."

"I'll…I'll let her know I talked to you." She smiled gently, ignoring the pressure she felt in her eyes. "She might like hearing from you." Tori might need someone like him back in her life, even. "Are you seeing anyone, by the way?"

Ian smiled back and shook his head. "Nah, you know how it goes. College."

"Yeah." She made his sandwich for him and had him out as quickly as she could, still thinking about whether or not his presence could be a benefit for Tori.

Fifteen minutes before closing, Jada looked at her and raised up the store key. "Can I close up?" Trina raised an eyebrow and shook her head-there was no reason to close fifteen minutes before the actual closing time. "I ain't about to get robbed again, you know…"

"We're not supposed to close early, Jada." She'd heard about the robbery that happened, but didn't think anything would happen.

According to Ann, someone once smashed the window after closing hours and stole the safe. It happened a while back, and the manager then got fired because Mr. Shay saw nothing going the way it should be. This was the incident that led to Ann's hire.

"We will be fine, Jada. Nothing's going to happen at night." Jada frowned and looked out at the door. "Closing's perfectly safe, just relax. Besides, I'm a criminal justice major."

She did feel a slight bit nervous, but not enough that it caused her any fear. Though, she did have the small thought of calling Jason to ask him to wait in the parking lot for them.

"If you say so." Jada shrugged again and grabbed the broom. "What's the worst that could happen around closing, anyway?" Trina smirked and walked towards the register.

"That's the spirit. No fear."

* * *

So what do you think? I leave you with your thoughts. Ann's advice, then there's Ian. I wonder if he could be a positive, but who knows...


	22. The Broken Puppeteer

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 22 (Broken Puppeteer)

Through binoculars Tori watched from the patio of a local pub, cleverly positioned. Down the street was her sister sitting outside an ice cream shop with Jason. The couple were sitting with Jason's arm around her shoulders, laughing about what, Tori didn't care.

Her mouth turned down as she lowered the binoculars a bit from her narrow eyes. "You know I'm going to just tell her you're spying on her, right?" Cat's voice startled her, though she didn't flinch.

She rolled her eyes and closed them. "It's not spying, I'm watching over her. She thinks she's being stalked by an asshole, so I'm protecting her…" Cat folded her arms and huffed in disbelief. Jade, standing nearby, shook her head. Tori raised her binoculars back, letting out a small grunt. "Can you believe she found a man before _I did_?"

"I can," Cat and Jade said simultaneously. They high-fived and laughed, causing a twisting in Tori's stomach. It was hard to believe that Jade and Cat had reconnected, given Cat's disdain for her, but perhaps there was something more to it.

"Right. Laugh it up." She turned around, bringing the binoculars to her side while hugging her waist with her fingers. "When did the two of you decide to be friends again, anyway?"

As if she needed to ask; it was shortly after Trina left the house to talk to David. Cat and Jade started talking about Tori as though she weren't in the room, then left. It was like her misery had caused the spark to reconnect.

Cat encircled her coldly. "That's like asking you when you decided to take advantage of you best friends and spying on your sister." Tori dropped her arms and growled.

"Oh really? We're doing this? Fuck off." Tori marched past her, slamming her binoculars onto the table. "I love my sister, whether you believe me or not." She glared out the corner of her eyes and a scowl stretched across her face. "I don't care for your critique of my behavior."

Cat's lips smacked and her eyes drifted towards Jade, who was being oddly silent now, then darted back to Tori. "Actually no, I do want to do this now." Tori leaned her head back and her muscles started to tense. "Trina's been my closest, maybe only friend, for the last five years. So I'm going to defend her because for some reason her own sister has always had a problem with her."

"I do not have a 'problem' with her, Cat."

Jade breathed in sharp, then walked slowly towards Cat. "Actually…" Tori's eyes opened wide and her eyebrows rose high. "I've always kind of wondered too, you know. All the put downs, you put her through a lot of hell."

"Oh, from the mouth of the bully herself."

"At least I acknowledge it." Jade threw her hand to her chest and leaned forward. The tone in her voice rose and the girl's eyes started to quiver. "Andre, Robbie, Beck-all of us. We screwed up, we bullied the shit out of your sister and we acknowledge it. Still, who was the one benefiting? Who was the one sitting absent-minded with a smirk on her face?"

Tori gasped and clenched her fists tight. "Bull. Shit." She stormed to Jade's right, growling vehemently in response to the accusation. "I would do everything in my power to protect her, and you know that."

"Maybe now you would, but five to eight years ago you wouldn't."

Cat jerked her thumb to Jade and nodded. "I seem to remember a time Jade said something cruel to Trina. Trina looked at you and asked 'are you just going to let them talk to me that way', and you said nothing. Just shrugged." Tori squinted and opened her mouth, but her face froze in a look of disgust. Cat wagged a finger and laughed. "Oh yeah, there it is. You had that look on your face."

"What? The hell I did."

"You know what else?" Jade walked around, sliding her hand along the wooden chair next to the table. "Something you learn in psychology…body language, and the smallest little expressions. Trina would know something about them too, since you learn about that stuff in criminal justice…as I remember, there were several times you'd have the smallest twitch of a smile when Trina was hurt, or something went wrong."

"You are vindictive," Cat added, "We already know that from the very first time any of us met you." Tori's fingers tapped the table and her head shook slowly from left to right. "Jade was upset when you were fawning over her boyfriend-a normal thing for a girlfriend to do. I mean hell, if Jade were to make a move on Jason, Trina would be pissed."

"Yep." Jade snapped her fingers. "She was honest with me about being uncomfortable with me going to his classes-she was afraid I…or you…might try something. Based on past happenings, that makes sense."

Cat turned to Jade. "How are those classes going, by the way? You seem to be getting a little better emotionally."

"Martial Arts is really kind of calming. I'm enjoying the classes-and I've been staying in the back. I don't want to give Trina any reason to be paranoid by placing myself close to Jason. He's really devoted to her too, you can tell."

"Oh?"

"The others in his class are talking about his frequent trips to Subway, and they always ask him questions. He won't talk about his private life, but he blushes like hell sometimes."

"Nice." Cat moved behind Tori and narrowed her eyes. "Now back to what I was saying. Because of Jade's reacting, you went and purposely kissed her boyfriend. Why? Just to get back at her for reacting harshly."

"You're a manipulator too." Jade took a seat and closed her eyes. "I see it now. How you manipulated the end of our friendships, and my own relationship, just out of a selfish desire. I wonder how far back do the strings go, maybe Robbie wasn't the only puppeteer. Maybe you were using us to get back at your sister for whatever?"

"Of course not," Tori growled. "What is this?" Her voice shot up instantly and she slapped her hands sideways into the air. "Gang up on Tori day? I never once got pleasure out of seeing Trina hurt, assholes."

"Then what is it?" Jade rose like a phoenix, shouting at the top of her lungs while extending her arm out in the direction of Trina and Jason. "Why do I feel like a chump, having been used to wreck your older sister's life for years? Why do I feel like a tool? Because _apparently_ that's what both Beck and Cat think any of us were."

Tori saw a glimpse of Jade's former self flash before her, and was shocked into silence. Whatever attributed to this new burst of confidence, she couldn't be sure of and wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

Jade walked forward, glaring into her eyes. "I don't like being used, you know I don't, and lately that's all I've felt like I've been." Tears erupted from the girl and her nostrils flared out. "You broke up my relationship, wrecked all the friendships that Beck and I actually had _before_ _you ever came along_ , and you've been living off mine and my father's money for the last five years because you don't want to get a real job."

Tori glanced at Cat, stunned to see a proud look in her eyes as though she admired this transformation in Jade. The girl was standing up for herself for the first time in a long time, and it was powerful.

"Trina says I've become meeker, and even Beck said to me I'm 'weak'. I'm not weak. I'm not going to be your puppet on a string, Tori. I'm in control of my own life, my own destiny, nobody else."

Cat clapped her hands together, laughing happily. "I like this! Where is this coming from?" Jade leaned back, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Actually that last line is a quote. From Jason, teaching his class. He said we're all in control of ourselves and shouldn't let anyone else keep us from achieving what we were meant to be." Cat's finger curled over her chin and she started to smirk.

"Just like Mr. Sikowitz used to say…I guess Jason really is his uncle's nephew."

"Yeah…" Jade wiped the tears from her face and released a powerful exhale. "Now." Tori could feel a dull ache in her chest, coming from the incessant pounding of her heart. She was trying not to let this argument stress her out, since stress didn't do her fragile heart any wonders, but between that and the headache that was now forming, she couldn't relax. "I think I deserve some answers, Tori."

"We both do." Cat narrowed her eyes and Tori started to shrink. She felt like she was at an interrogation table with a bright light shining down into her eyes and onto her face. "Sadly Andre, Robbie and even Beck can't have answers, and maybe Trina will never get anything from you…your sister loves you, Tori. She loves you despite everything you've ever done, enabled, caused, or influenced…and that goes a long way."

Sweat trickled down the side of her face and her breathing grew shallow as the two women started their approach onto her, causing her to fall down into the chair. "It does." Jade tapped her fingers angrily on her forearm. "Any normal person might turn their sibling away with all that, but Trina seems to care about you so much it's almost naïve."

Tori leaned forward, raising her hands towards her face and groaning as the ache in her chest intensified. "It's not naïve, okay. Jesus, would you get off my back? There are some things you don't get, some things you wouldn't understand."

"Try us." Jade's brow furrowed and her body seemed to relax for a moment. The girl eventually sighed and motioned for Cat to take a seat. The redhead did so and Jade pulled a third chair over to sit. "Look. Tori. We're not trying to yell at you." She spoke calmly, as if it could ease the pain shooting through her muscles like fire. "Just calm down and relax…I think that's something all of us have to do."

"Shut up. You don't know anything."

"I know, but that's the point. Help us understand. Enlighten us. Let us in and talk to us."

"Go away. Just go away." Tori hugged her abdomen, groaning as she bent over and buried her face into her knees to muffle a painful sob. "Everyone abandons me, I deserve it. I deserve to be alone. I trashed the one person that ever understood me, and for what?" She threw her head up, crying out as the tears and mucous mixed together on her upper lip. "For singing in smoke filled bars or hitting street corners for tips?"

"Karma does tend to come at you like a ghost in the night," Jade replied softly, "But that doesn't mean you can't fix your circumstances. Let's start over. Can we? From the beginning. Before all the chaos?"

"You really don't know anything. Things were hell a long time before you guys ever showed up."

"Cat and I are just friends, looking in and seeing the life of this dramatic family of yours. That's all any of us ever were, but how could we understand something when no one ever let us in?"

"What does that mean?"

"Why did our friendships always seem so shallow, Tori?" Jade shrugged. "My friendship to you felt forced from the beginning-by Beck no doubt. Beck wanted to be your friend, I don't even know why…To this day, I don't know what it was." Cat's eyes closed and she nodded her head. "Andre was Beck's longest and closest friend, so he fell in line right there. Robbie was one of their newer friends, someone that wanted to follow, and he was attracted to you as well…then there's Cat, who happened to be _my_ friend."

"That's true," Cat replied, "Until everything five years ago anyway."

"But none of us-except maybe Cat with Trina-have ever gotten any in depth insight into your lives. We don't know who you were before Hollywood Arts, we didn't know anything aside from what you told us. What you did was paint us a picture, a picture of your family in the way you wanted us to see…your insane sister, a dad that was never around, and a mother that openly cheated on your father and ignored you guys. What part of that picture was false, and what was true?"

"You want truth? I never tried to lie about everything, I just wanted the attention. I didn't want to be alone, I didn't want to be the imperfect one anymore." She breathed in sharp and shut her eyes, clenching them and her teeth as she tried to force her heart to steady. "I wasn't healthy when I was little, okay? Physically I shouldn't even be talking to you guys right now. I'm just lucky not to be a vegetable."

"A what?"

She rolled her eyes and looked away, not wanting to look them in the eyes while telling this. "The doctors said if I survived infancy, I'd pretty much be unable to some of the basic things…like walk." It wasn't something she was proud of, and certainly not something she wanted to tell anyone. "I haven't told anybody anything about this since Ian…"

"Ian?"

"He was a guy at Sherwood." She leaned back and dropped her shoulders, smiling as the ache in her chest subsided and the pressure in her head began to dull. "More than that. He was my closest friend, and someone I really…really liked." Cat and Jade smiled back at her, both appeared happy to know something of her past life before Hollywood Arts. "He was the only one that ever truly understood how I felt. The only one that ever cared enough." She dipped her eyebrows down and closed her fingers on her pants, crumpling the fabric. "But I threw that all away when I left Sherwood."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because he's also the only person to ever see right through me." Ian knew her better than anyone else. He knew her passions, he knew what made her tick; what made her happy. "I could go on and on about the things we were into and the things I did at Sherwood…but you asked about my family? My personal background…"

Jade placed a hand over Tori's wrist and looked her in the eyes. "It's okay Tori."

"It's not. You said you felt used. Our entire friendship wasn't about using anyone, I actually tried-I just wanted your acceptance and approval. Everyone's. I wanted to feel like I mattered, like I was more than the circumstances in my life that made me so damn weak."

"Tori…"

"My childhood? I was babied. Trina was the golden child; she went into gymnastics and karate as a kid, emerged on top of almost everything." Tori chuckled vainly and brought her hands to her face. "If she wanted to excel at something, she could do it. Dad went to all her tryouts, cheered her on every time while Mom stayed home to monitor me, to make sure my vitals were staying stable…to make sure my heart was working properly and that I didn't end up rolling over and dying in my sleep or something. Trina did the same, always babying me. Smothering me."

She tapped her nose with her knuckles, bending her elbows on her knees and flexing her arms. "'Don't go out too far', she'd say whenever we'd play in the yard. 'Don't get too excited, don't get worked up'. Too much excitement and my heart could burst. I only got to watch as the other children, my sister included, ran around kicking balls in goals and playing all sorts of sports and other games…and I hated it."

"So you were jealous," Cat replied softly, "But it's understandable. I'm sorry…" Tori shook her head, angry with herself and the realization that was coming to her.

She was well aware that Trina's entire teenage life had been destroyed, and she was partially responsible. "I guess…I guess the line got crossed when Trina convinced me to stay in Hollywood Arts. She did it to watch over me even more, or that's what I thought anyway. So I pushed her away, and yes, I used you guys to push her even more."

Jade and Cat closed their eyes and turned their heads down. They didn't appear surprised, and their expression were forlorn. "Then she tried everything to get your approval, and ours, because no one accepted her." Jade tapped her fingertips together and smacked her lips. "She came across overbearing, obsessive and crazed because the tables had turned, she no longer had anyone's acceptance."

"I did that to her." Tori's breath rattled from her lips and her hands started to tremble. "I feel it every time I look at her. I see her working at a crappy fast food shop rather than where she could be, where she _should_ be. You guys never saw the nights after the bullying, you guys never heard the crying coming from her bedroom. I've never been able to sleep well, so I would lie there awake…listening as she screamed in her sleep, crying for hours."

Tori poked her chest and scowled. "I was there to see my father's disappointment when Trina quit karate and gymnastics. I was there to hear her say she didn't think she was good anymore. Who was she kidding? Who was I kidding? She was fantastic, but she didn't believe it."

"Then you became the golden child, right? Singing, acting, dancing-how does your heart stand it?"

"Not well, but it's been better over the years. Those years, anyway." After every act she'd be out of breath, fighting against her abnormally low stamina, but she managed to push through and remain calm. It made her stronger, and she fell in love with the rush of being able to be so active without fear of ending up in the emergency room. "For once I was good, I was great, and I loved it. I loved being able to have all the adrenaline, no matter how dangerous."

"All that activity, dangerous to your heart." Cat shook her head and waved her hand in the air. "You shouldn't have been doing that." Jade nodded in agreement and Tori simply shrugged.

"It wasn't something I thought about. It was something I that once I knew I could do, I kept doing it." Tori looked at the binoculars and frowned. "Then maybe it got to my head, I don't know. I had a few years of being strong, a few years of being powerful. Living on the edge, and I loved it." Her stomach jerked as though gutted with a knife, and she turned her eyes in the direction of her sister in the distance. "But at what cost? Why haven't I found work yet? It's not because I'm chasing a fruitless dream that I never truly wanted in the first place. Chasing that dream wound up destroying my sister and everything she was, and made her something that I never once was."

"What's that?"

She paused for a long time, then lowered her face, sliding her enclosed hands along her forehead. "Hated."

"You're not responsible."

"Don't tell me that. Don't lie to me. I brought the tools that destroyed her life into her life in the first place." Jade's forehead scrunched and Cat looked over her shoulders. "I'm the one. You said it yourself, I'm the manipulator-the master puppeteer. If I hadn't brought you guys into her life, none of you would have ever hurt her. You wouldn't have bullied her, Robbie wouldn't have dropped her from a harness…" She raised her head and ripped out a scoff. "She'd probably be an Olympic star by now."

"Doubtful," Cat answered, much to Tori's chagrin. "Trina mentioned before she hasn't ever wanted to go that far. Maybe an athletic coach or something, but yeah, I get what you're saying…"

"I'm glad none of you can hurt her anymore. I'm glad Andre and Robbie are gone, I'm glad for all of it, but I think it's too late…It's all too late…I wish I could go back in time." Tori stood slowly and turned her back to them. "Thanks for listening, but please…there's nothing you can say to make it better."

"Maybe. Maybe not us." Cat placed a hand to her shoulder and Tori quickly pulled away. "Trina wanted me to give you this." She raised an eyebrow and looked back, watching as Cat pulled a slip of paper from her purse. She could see a number written down-a phone number without a name. "She said since I'd be hanging out with Jade and all, that I might see you and should give this to you. She wouldn't tell me who the number belongs to, but that it's someone that might be a person you can talk to."

"Why does she think I'm going to call someone I don't know?" She took the slip of paper, studying the number for a long time.

"She swore you knew the guy, said it was someone you trusted in the past. She said that he'd love to hear from you." Her heart skipped for a second as she started to suspect who the owner of the phone number was. She folded the paper neatly and placed it carefully into her purse.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

There you go, the load of it all. What are your thoughts on everything going on here? We can see where Cat and Jade are reconnecting, and Jade's getting stronger again, but with that said, we now got a huge bit of information from Tori.


	23. Calm Before the Storm

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 23 (Calm Before the Storm)

"We have a surprise for you," Sandra said as Trina walked in. Sandra was standing with her hands behind her back and a widening grin on her face. Trina raised her eyebrows and waited eagerly.

Sandra moved her hands in view, revealing a sheet of paper. "What's this?" Trina asked while taking the paper from her. Her heart skipped as she read remarks and comments about herself, comments saying that she was fast and friendly with the customers.

The praise was heartwarming, but she didn't know if she deserved it or not. "I put request for raise." Her heart stopped for a brief moment and she raised her head up, looking with suspicion at Sandra. "You're a good employee, one of the best. You enjoy working, and you're good with the customers."

"I…I don't know what to say." She moved her hand to her chest and glanced down at the paper trembling in her fingers. "Thank you." Sandra took the paper carefully and placed it on the metal table.

"You don't have to say anything. You're doing a great job." Sandra looked up at the security screen and then to the doorway. "Go ahead and clock in." Trina followed her out and stopped in the doorway. She was ecstatic to see some regulars walking in, including a few police officers. "You know something, Trina?"

"What?"

"We've always had officers come here, but the frequency's gone up since you started working." Her boss chuckled and smiled back at her. "Not that it's a problem or anything, it's nice." She hummed and peered out at the officers. It was possible that her father had them coming more often, but the restaurant was in a neighboring city that wasn't his overall jurisdiction-though he did carry some weight regardless.

"Might be my dad, he worries a lot lately." She clocked in and looked down the line as Sandra made her way to the bread case. Nancy was working the meats while the newer employee that replaced Vincent was on the veggies. The new employee was a short, chubby Mexican girl with a friendly smile.

The girl, Helen, was nice but she was also really chaotic in the way of speed. Once or twice, she'd simply tossed the veggies onto the bread or would have the sandwiches out of order.

Looking up, there was a familiar officer standing at the register. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had black hair neatly combed over. He looked young, though he was in his mid-to-late thirties. "Morning Lieutenant Rand." The lieutenant's eyes squinted as he smiled pleasantly at her.

"Morning Trina." Lieutenant Derek Rand was in charge of a precinct unrelated to her father's, and his only connection to David was knowing the man as one of LA's top brass. "How are you?"

"Good. Enjoying this job. A lot." She was enjoying it so much that the thought of possibly being a manager in the future was enticing to her.

"Oh? I thought your major was Criminal Justice." She bit her lip and glanced at his bagged sandwich. "Did you decide you wanted to go another route?"

"No, not at all." She'd forgotten her career path, and hadn't put in any new applications. "I just don't know where to apply." Lieutenant Rand laughed once and shook his head.

"Just go out to the city website and look up the police department." She did recognize his name as being on a few positions that she could apply to-at least, the application would have to be sent in to him.

She raised her hand to her neck and stretched her back with a grunt. "Well, I don't want to be hired because of my father, I want to be hired on my own merits. I know the connection can go a long way, but I'm scared of being hired somewhere and then being known as 'the boss's daughter' or something like that."

"I can almost guarantee that wouldn't be the case around here. Just give it a shot, you have nothing to lose." She nodded in return and handed him the police discount ticket to fill out.

She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore, now that she'd been working at Subway for a time and got a raise. She'd been given a taste of being in charge, and she liked it, but certainly she could be in charge of something in the criminal justice field.

 _"I don't know what there is that I can do."_ She watched the Lieutenant as he left the store, smiling until she heard Nancy call out to her.

"Chop chop," Nancy said with a laugh, "Come on Trina. Don't dream." Trina smirked back at the woman and started to ring up the next customer.

One thing she remembered seeing a while back when she last looked up jobs in the area for her career field was a Crime Victim Liason. It was interesting to her because she'd essentially be a victim's advocate, and a go-between for them and the officers.

After the rush of customers, Trina took care of the trash. She wheeled the two large bins out the side door, making note of the sign taped to it that said 'do not open after 5pm'. It always made her wonder the reason, but she figured it had to do with safety.

Trina walked past her truck, then the plumbing van and garage door. Her eyes focused on Jason's shop across from her as she rounded the corner, and her heart swelled. As she neared the dumpster, she saw him there, throwing away some of his own trash.

Jason looked over his shoulder and his face lit up when he saw her. "Hey Trina, how's work going?" She stopped short of the dumpster, letting go of the bins with an exhausted sigh.

"Tiring, but I love it." She took his hands in hers and walked backwards two steps, leaning her back against the wall, with the hope of stealing a brief moment from him. "Sandra's putting in a raise request for me."

"That's great!" Jason's eyes enchanted her as they so often did. Trina guided her hands forward, along his forearms. "You've been working hard, you deserve it."

"Yeah, well, I was thinking of asking Miss Sandra for more hours. I don't know if she'd give me more or not, but I wouldn't mind. This is my home store, after all."

"More hours, more pay. They like you, so I'd say go ahead and ask."

"You're right, I should, but…" She bowed her head and shrugged. "I was talking to one of our regulars-Lieutenant Rand-and he reminded me I've been forgetting about my career path."

There were a ton of reminders lately, especially one that came from somebody on website online that suggested a character not lose sight of their goal-a goal that so resonated with her own.

"I'm confused."

"Of?"

"Subway's a job to make money while looking for something in my career, but I really like it here. I don't know…is my mind changing, or am I just becoming distracted by something that isn't real?"

She felt his finger dip under her chin and looked up towards him as he tilted her chin up. "Honestly? I wouldn't say the way you feel about Subway isn't real-it is. You like the supervisory part, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well think about it. You like roles of leadership, well there are _plenty_ of jobs out there with leadership roles. Subway's just one, and anything in the criminal justice field counts." She turned her mouth up and hummed in agreement. "Enjoy Subway while you have it, and don't lose sight of your career goals, if that's where you really want to be. If you decide you want to go another route, that's okay too."

"Is it? I mean…I don't want to disappoint anyone."

"You wouldn't be. In the end, you have to do what you feel is best for yourself-what's in your heart. Nobody else can tell you what to do, nobody else knows your interests more than you do. Remember that."

"I guess it's easy to forget what's important…My mind's been so cluttered lately, with everything going on."

"Yeah." Jason tilted his head a bit and took a deep breath. "Hey, you know, I've got just the thing for you." Trina smiled gently and slid her arms around his waist. "You said to me once, you like the open country roads outside of town. Right?"

"Mm-hmm." In the past, she would drive to the outskirts of town and drive down the country roads, thrilling at the wind in her hair and the stars in the skies. "What about it?"

"I was thinking for our date night, I'd take you out there and we can just drive." Her heart swelled and her grin spread further. "I think that would be the perfect thing to clear your mind and relax without having to worry about everything else going on."

She was picturing it now, speeding under the stars with the wind in her hair and Jason next to her. Trina closed her eyes and breathed in slow, taking in the vision as though she were already there. "Sounds great."

"Great, so we'll make it a date." He looked over his shoulder and exhaled. "We'd better get back to our jobs before people start to wonder." She laughed and Jason glanced back. "But not before I still a kiss."

"I was about to say…" She felt his finger slide to the tip of her chin and she leaned forward, letting it guide her towards him. Her eyes fluttered shut as her lips met his. She felt a rush of emotion burning through her and slid her hands up along his chest, moaning softly as the kiss deepened.

Jason pulled back a moment later, leaving his taste lingering on her quivering lips. "We can continue later," he whispered in her ear. A shiver fell along her spine and she raised her head to him, nodding slowly.

"I'll hold you to that." Her hand fell into his and she walked away, looking into his eyes as she did so.

Once Trina returned to the store, she met her smirking manager in the back. "So," Sandra said with a tease in her tone, "The trash make you blush? Your cheeks are so red." Her eyes widened and she brought her hands up to her face.

"Um, no, it's just really warm outside."

"Uh huh." Sandra's eyelids fell halfway and Nancy laughed. After a second, Sandra's eyes drifted to the schedule sheet on the wall and her shoulders rose. "Oh, I need someone to close tomorrow. Can you do that?" Her heart skipped and she instantly jumped at the opportunity.

"Of course! I'd love to help out some more." She snapped her fingers, gasping aloud as she remembered her conversation. "Speaking of, I wanted to ask. If it's okay." Sandra's right hand fell to her waist. The woman's eyebrows rose attentively. "Do you think maybe I could work more hours? Like fuller?"

Sandra dropped her hand and nodded her answer. "I'll have to ask Mandy though, all those requests go through to the home office. I would love to give you more hours, but she'll have to confirm it."

"Okay, great."

"Good, now, back to work." Sandra motioned to the doorway to the line and flashed a smirk. "I'm sure you'll see your boyfriend later." Her cheeks burned hotter and her eyelids fell shut.

Later that evening, Trina lay beside Jason in a field of grass far out into the countryside. Above them was a blanket of glittering stars in the night sky, and treetops that towered above in an eternal attempt to reach the warm blanket.

The cool wind caressed her face and cooled her body so that she might cuddle up against Jason's left side. His arm was under her, wrapping around her waist and folding onto her stomach where she had her hands placed neatly on top of his.

"They are so beautiful," Trina said with a content sigh. Jason turned his head to her, gazing serenely. "It's been a long time since I've come out here. Helps me to think, helps to relax and to escape."

"Yeah, it's nice to know a place like this exists outside of a city like LA, huh?"

It was a ways out, but the distance never mattered to her. "It is." She closed her eyes and rolled her head against his shoulder. "Back before I gave up martial arts and stuff, I'd come out here all the time to practice and meditate."

"It's a good place to do that. You can always do it again."

"Maybe, but I'm not sure if I ever want to get back into that stuff. I don't know how good of an athlete I am anymore." If she wanted to go into criminal justice, she had to be fit and in shape, so there was some concern that she might not be anymore. "I'd have to think about it."

"You can always come take my classes. You know that."

"Not with Jade there. I don't want to give anyone the wrong ideas."

"I don't think you would be, but that's up to you. I won't push."

"I appreciate that." She opened her eyelids halfway and gently kissed his neck. "So, Sandra wants me to close tomorrow. You don't have any plans, I guess?"

"No. I was thinking I might give my students a pop quiz, but I'm really not sure." He'd been so busy lately and hadn't given a test to his students in some time, but she understood he wanted the rest. If he gave them a test, it would mean he'd be staying late grading papers, which meant he wouldn't be getting home for some time. "Tomorrow the weather's supposed to be bad, and I'd have to drive home in that mess."

"You're right. Still, it's up to you." She rolled onto her side, placing her hand on his chest. Jason looked into her eyes with a tenderness and gently rubbed her back. "The weather might die down, you haven't given your students a test in a while. I don't think even Jade has taken one of your pop quizzes yet, has she?"

"I don't know." He laughed once and shrugged. "I've given oral examinations. Actual tests are done verbally and are meant to be hands on, the pop quizzes are the written exams." He moved his right hand under his head. His chest exhaled slowly and his shoulders shrugged. "I'll think about it. I'm still not sure, but we'll see…if the weather dies down, or I feel like driving in that mess, then I might."

"You can always take the quizzes home with you, can't you?"

"No. Well, yes, but I never do. I prefer to sit down and start grading once the day's done. If I take them home, I'll never get them done. Too many distractions."

"I understand."

Jason's hand slid away from his head and rose to her hair, grooming it back. "You are the most beautiful thing out here tonight." He tilted his head, sliding his hand down her hair. "You amaze me. I don't know what I'd be if I hadn't met you."

"Bored?" She giggled and leaned over, kissing the corner of his mouth. Jason closed his eyes, sighing as she pulled away from him.

"Probably."

Trina chewed her lip, glancing off to the right. "Jason, I-" She held her breath and raised herself up. Her hand perched on his chest and she looked down into his eyes. "It's been a couple of months, but I-I don't know how to say it. I don't know if it's okay or if you feel the same, but I've never felt this way in my life." She was getting flustered and nervous, stumbling over her words and speaking fast to get her full thoughts out. "I-"

"I love you." Her heart crashed to a halt and her eyes opened wide as his words struck her. She froze, trying to take in and comprehend what he'd just said. Jason's hand caressed her cheek and his tender gaze invited her.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she choked on a whimper. "You…"

"I didn't know what it was until that day you told me about your father, I didn't understand how I was feeling either, but I know now more than before how I feel."

She sank into him, her lips crashing into his. His arms wrapped around her waist and she rolled onto her back. She pulled her head away, breathing heavily. "I love you too. I was scared to say it-I didn't know if you even felt the same way…"

Jason wiped away the tears on her cheek and lowered himself, whispering softly into her ears. "I've never felt stronger or surer about anything." He kissed her once more, holding close in his strong arms.

There, beneath the stars, she prayed the night would never end; and they would share in a moment to bind their hearts as one for what she knew with confidence would last.

* * *

There is a reason the chapter is titled as such, and if you catch it, there's a little bit of foreshadowing. That aside, a lot of other things happened in this chapter that are important and crucial. Ranging from the talk with the Lieutenant, the conversation with Jason, the raise from Sandra, and so on. Tell me what your thoughts are, and what you think is to come. Oh, and the very end there, I hope you catch the implication as well of what's happening because that's fairly important too since it's an important step in the relationship. So, onto the next chapter, which if you caught the foreshadowing you might suspect what is to come.


	24. The Final Insult

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 24 (The Final Insult)

It was a dark, stormy night at Subway. The thunder was loud and the lightning was as startling as the rain pelting the windows every so often. It had only been drizzling when Trina drove to work, and now she was hoping the storm would let up.

At the very least, it was so nasty that they wouldn't be as busy and she could get ample things done. "So I'm covering Jorge's shift again." Jorge was another new employee, hired after Anton quit. He was a high schooler with a tendency to give last minute warnings-though thankfully his calling in was yesterday.

Sandra stood at the side door, holding an umbrella in her hand. "Trina, don't forget to put the bar in place." She pointed at the long brown bar standing erect at the side of the door. They put it on to seal the door and ensure it was safely locked. "Where did you park, by the way?"

"Out along the side near my usual spot." When she got there, her usual spot directly in front of the door was taken up by Sandra's car. Nancy's truck was in the spot on the right, then Helen was parked on the left. That left Trina to park on the other side of the plumbing van, closer to the end of the building and towards Jason's studio. "I'm a little down on the side though. Why?"

Sandra frowned and started to push open the door. "When you have time, move your car to the front of the store, okay?" She raised an eyebrow, nodding in reply. "Always if you close, park in the front of store." The reasoning was easy to understand; it was for safety. "When slow and you have time, go ahead and pull your truck around to the front, please."

"I'll try and remember to do that." She tied her apron strings and sighed. "Hopefully the rain goes down." Sandra looked outside and started to push her umbrella out.

"It'll lighten by the time you close. It should." The streets were going to be hell, so Trina hoped Jason decided to go home and not do his pop quizzes.

"I'll see you later Miss Sandra."

"Bye. Text me if you have any trouble." Trina waved and walked around to the line. The windows lit up with a flash of lightning, so she shook her head and wondered if Subway had backup generators just in case the lights went out.

Within the first thirty minutes, she had about five customers that she had to push through. "They have you working by yourself again?" Asked one lady. The woman shook her head slowly and clicked her tongue. "You guys should have more people working."

"Closing shifts are fairly tame, we don't usually need more than one." She'd heard the spiel before and didn't mind it too much, though she was getting tired of hearing it.

When she was done, she hurried to move the trays onto the long metal table, then lined them with twenty-four bread liners. Trina wiped the sweat from her brow and looked up at the ceiling, listening to the booming coming from outside.

Normally she liked storms, but tonight in particular it was unsettling to her. Her stomach was in knots and she was constantly looking around as if there were something lurking in the shadows.

Still, there was nothing there and she had no reason to be afraid of anything-even a strange feeling which she couldn't shake.

In order to ignore her nerves, she focused on busywork such as finishing the dishes and sweeping the lobby. Once in a while she'd stop and gaze at the window, watching as the rain poured down like a waterfall.

The hours droned by with little business, and Trina found herself free to get much of the closing procedures done without a hitch. She bagged the bread around 8:20, an hour after pulling the bread dough and putting it in the freezer, then she did her count.

There was one final customer that came in five minutes before she had to close, much to her dismay, but she made the sandwich and went to lock the door after they left. After it was all said and done, she went through the end day closing procedures on the computer and then went to pull the food from the line.

At 9:30, she could see the rain was beginning to let up, and the lightning had stopped. There were still claps of thunder that could be heard, but regardless of them, the storm was nearing an end. She breathed a sigh of relief and waited for the system backup to conclude so she could clock out.

Her eyes trailed to the door and a curious hum vibrated off her lips. "I forgot to move my truck. Damn." She shrugged. It wasn't a big deal; she'd closed before and left her truck out on the side. The only thing different was she had a little farther to walk.

As 9:40 rolled around, Trina leaned against the wall and checked her phone for text messages. Her father sent one to her asking her to drive safely coming home, and to expect dinner. With a smile, she replied back that she would be careful and that she was looking forward to having something to eat since she didn't make herself a sandwich.

Tori also sent her a text, so she opened it with slight hesitation. "We need to talk," Tori said, "Call me when you get off." There was a sense of urgency that she felt coming from those words. She was nervous and hoped it wasn't anything too serious, but with Tori, she could never tell.

Seeing no text from Jason, she decided to send him a text to let him know she was almost done with work. Once she finished, she could see the system backup on the computer was done.

"Finally!" She put her finger to the print scanner and exhaled slowly as the time punch box popped up. "Now to get the hell out of here and go home."

Trina hit the switches to turn all the lights in the lobby off, turned on the alarm system, and left the store. The lot was empty, save for the puddles of water and the drizzling rain. The water puddles were luminescent from the flashing green light coming from the sign on the store next door to hers.

She pushed her phone and keys into her purse and began walking around the corner of the store, smiling softly as she peered down for her car. It was on the other side of the plumbing van. "I wonder who that van belongs to…" It was always there, but it was inconsequential. One of the many businesses, no doubt.

Trina removed her hat, closing it tightly in her hands as she looked up into the sky. The rain was soft and warm, yet the wind was bitter and cold. It was tempting to dance in the rain, since there wasn't a soul in sight, but she just wanted to get home.

In the distance, she heard an odd metallic sound; as though someone else was working on something outside.

Trina passed the van and exhaled when she saw her truck, sitting in the last parking spot just at the corner curb of the building.

A crack of thunder startled her and lightning flashed to reveal a dark silhouette running nearby. Her eyes squinted and she moved her hand over them to get a closer look, but the figure was gone in an instant. "Weird."

She stepped in front of her truck and looked at the front door of Jason's studio straight across. The windows and glass door were dark, but she could see a small amber light in the center of the door that made her wonder if Jason gave his students a quiz after all and stayed late.

The rain was soaking her clothes and causing a shiver to overtake her body, so she turned and started towards the door of her car. Before she could reach for her keys, a sudden force grabbed and yanked her away, causing her purse to fall off her shoulder and land in a puddle beside the front wheel of her truck.

Trina tried to scream out in her shock, but was muffled by a greasy hand. Her heart started to pound and her eyes opened wide as a sharp piece of metal touched her neck. "Don't scream," a familiar voice threatened, "Struggling will only make it worse for you."

He yanked her back and around the corner of the building, slamming her into the wall in the process. Tears welled up in her eyes as a dull, throbbing sensation spread along her arms. "Beck?" She cried out. "Beck what are you doing?"

Beck had a knife to her throat that was clear in the moonlight once her vision adjusted, causing her to hold back a gasp and whimper with fear. He began pulling her towards the dumpster, growling at her.

She tried to run, but fear kept her glued in place, and confusion left her nervous and frantic. "Beck please, let me go."

"Not happening. You're mine now." She tried to twist her body away from him and managed to turn her head enough to cry out for help. "What the fuck did I just say?" He swung at her, knocking her to the ground with a heavy fist. "Don't try to scream, bitch."

She looked up with wide eyes, seeing the lightning form an aura around him. Beck flipped the knife in his hand and flashed a sick smirk. "You know how long I've waited for a moment like this?" He chuckled softly and grabbed a tuft of her hair, yanking her head back with great force. She cried out in pain, her entire body trembling from the wetness and fear.

"N-No, I won't let you do this." On instinct and a desire to protect herself, she kicked back, striking Beck in the shin. He howled in pain, roaring above the thunder. Trina pushed herself up and started running for Jason's store, praying he was inside. "Jason! Someone! Help!"

"Get the fuck back here!" She looked over her shoulder, screaming as Beck descended upon her. He was faster than she was, but only because the pain in her body and dampness of her clothing was slowing her down.

Her apron tie had come undone and the apron was now flying behind her, and it became the first thing Beck grabbed ahold of. She could feel the neck of the apron digging into her throat as he pulled back, and her body topped towards the ground, and her head struck the concrete hard.

She threw her hands to her head, screaming as Beck stepped above her. "What's going on? Why are you doing this?" Beck grabbed her hair again and yanked her head up. The rain clouded the tears she hoped he'd see, and her breathing was frantic and.

Trina dropped her hands to the ground and started clawing in a frenzied attempt to get away, but his hold on her was too tight. "Try not to struggle as much, Trina, you'll want to conserve your energy for me." He yanked her up and proceeded to wrap her apron around her head.

"Stop, Beck, please!" She breathed in the rainwater and dirty apron, then coughed into it. A sudden, painful force shoved her forward until she hit the metal dumpster nearby. "Oh god, what are you going to do? Beck, please don't do this."

"First, I'm going to stuff you hard as I can." He put his hand to the back of her head and slammed it into the dumpster. Her knees buckled and she dropped to the ground, screaming as her heart raced out of control. "Then I'm going to carve you up and leave you in the bottom of this fucking barrel for the trash to collect tomorrow. Because that's all you are. Trash."

"Beck why are you doing this to me?"

"You know why. Your goddamn sister." She felt the knife at her throat and gasped out. Her hands rose to her neck, but he locked her wrists in place with his forearm. "She took away everything I ever had, so I'm going to take away the thing she cares most about."

"Tori? Tori doesn't care about me. Beck, please, you know more than anyone she doesn't care. Killing me wouldn't do anything to her!"

He leaned in close, his raspy and deep voice was poison to her ear. "Is that what you think? How stupid are you that even I can see that's furthest from the truth?" He whisked the knife away and pushed her down onto the ground. She could feel her arms scraping against the gravel, and tasted blood on her lips. "Now, I'm going to have a little fun here…can't tell you how long I've wanted to do this."

She felt his fingers at the belt of her pants and cried out in alarm. "No please." Her pleas came out in sobs as she listened to his snarling voice order her to be quiet.

"What's the matter, Vega, you're not interested after all this time?"

"I never was. Don't do this Beck." She felt a tugging sensation at her belt and whimpered as he cut through it with his knife. She twisted her waist and tried to pull away, kicking her legs and swinging her arms to try and hit him as he pulled her pants down.

Eventually he slammed her into the ground once again and locked her wrists behind her back with one hand. "Enough, damn it, I don't need the struggle." He placed the blade to her hip, pushing it towards the fabric of her underwear. The metal was like ice on her skin, yet it burned as though it were fire.

"Beck stop it, please, I'm begging you. Stop! I was never against you, you have to know that."

"I don't give a fuck."

"Beck please!"

"Shut your goddamn mouth." Beck chuckled once and breathed out sharply. "You know how long I've followed you and your sister? I know her little secret, about her fragile little heart. I know how she cares for you, so just think, all the stress and damage I do to you tonight will destroy her-break her heart to pieces-and maybe, just maybe, she'll keel over too."

"Please!"

Thunder blasted in the skies and a mighty roar, like that of a lion, joined in with it. Trina's fingers curled against the gravel and her right hand tried to pull her pants up. Beck hadn't gotten any further, and she could no longer feel him touching her, but she was terrified and wanted to see what was going on.

The thunderclaps were stranger now, and oddly continuous. There were muffled sounds as well, and her ears were ringing loudly. Once the ringing subsided, she could make out Beck shouting out in pain, and another voice screaming at him.

"Don't you dare fucking touch her, don't ever touch her you fucking piece of shit. You're trash, nothing but trash." There was another slam, like someone was being thrown against the dumpster.

"J-Jason?" She whimpered, reaching for her apron. "Jason?" She grabbed her apron frantically, trying to pull it off her head. "I can't breathe, I can't see. Please. Please." Her sobbing grew worse and her lungs were on fire.

Soon the apron was pulled off her. "Bastard tied it." She looked straight ahead with wide, tear-filled eyes, seeing Jason crouched in front of her. In his hands, he held her apron in a clumped ball. "Trina…"

"Jason." She screamed out and grabbed his shirt, falling against his chest. He fell backwards, landing in seated position on the ground as a sob shook through her entire body. "I was so afraid."

Realizing Beck was still around, she let out a terrified gasp and looked around frantically. "Where is he? Where-"

"It's okay, you're safe." She looked at the dumpster and her brow started to furrow. The lid had been closed over the dumpster and two large wooden pallets that had previously been laying alongside the dumpster were perched on top of the lid.

"Jason…what did you do? Did you hurt him?" She prayed he hadn't done anything that would cause him to get in trouble, not for her, not like this. "Jason?"

"It's okay, I didn't hurt him too much…" She heard a loud thump from the dumpster and flinched as Beck's angry voice cried out from inside.

"Let me out of this goddamn thing."

Jason rose up, his eyes filled with rage and his chest heaving. He slammed his foot hard into the side of the dumpster, causing Beck to scream out in terror. "Be glad I'm not tearing you apart right now, asshole!"

"Bring it on. Let me out of here and let's see who the best man is."

"You don't want to know what I could do to you, so don't fucking tempt me."

Trina grabbed ahold of Jason's pant leg, clutching it between her fingers. "Jason, p-please." Jason looked at her and exhaled softly. "I'm cold…so cold…leave him alone."

"I'm sorry." Jason removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. She pulled it around her body, hugging it tight as he helped her to her feet. The rain fortunately ceased, and his jacket provided enough warmth to quell a bit of her shivering. "Do you want to go back inside?"

She pointed to her purse, and he carefully removed it from the puddle. Trina stayed close to him and let him hold her with a protective arm around her waist as they reentered the Subway store. "Jason…turn off the alarm…"

She gave him the code to get into the back and to turn off the alarm. The lights of the store lit up and she held her trembling hands in front of her face, taking a look at them for the first time.

They were covered with blood and dirt, a sight that caused her to cry out in horror. "Trina?" Jason hurried to her side, filled with concern. "I'm here." He closed his hands around hers and she found his eyes. "I'm here Trina, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Her breathing trembled as she thought about the nightmare she'd suffered-and it wasn't over yet. Beck wanted to destroy her, or to destroy Tori through her. Maybe he wanted to destroy them both, she didn't know.

They always hurt her in the end; Tori's friends. This was the last time, she knew she couldn't let him win.

Overhead the Subway radio continued to play to the tune of Kelly Clarkson's _Stronger_.

 _You try and break me, but you see, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Stand a little taller. What doesn't kill you makes a fighter, footsteps a little lighter…_

As it came to an end, Katy Perry's song _Roar_ replaced it and her trembling and fear started to subside. She was still hurting, still afraid, but she knew she had to try and be strong. Beck wanted to hurt her, to fill her with a world of fear; she couldn't let that happen.

"No. I'm not okay, but I-I'm not going to let this tear me apart…" Jason furrowed his brow, looking over her carefully.

"Trina? I'm here for you."

She hugged him close, weeping softly into his shoulder. "Hold me." She needed him more than ever now. "I-I tried to stop him, I tried to fight him, but I couldn't."

"You did the best you could, that's all anyone can do. All that matters is you're safe. You're safe and he's not going to hurt you." He hugged her and looked over his shoulder at the sandwich line. "You've already done the count, but I'm going to make you a sandwich. You need to have something."

"Don't worry about that. Please, just…stay with me." He pulled a chair closer to her and nodded softly.

It wasn't long before the police arrived at the scene and removed Beck from the dumpster. Trina left the store with Jason to watch, and stare him down to show him that she wasn't going to let him break her.

He was smug and grinning from ear to ear until he saw the sternness in her eyes. In that single instance, he shrank and bowed his head, realizing that he had no power.

The nightmare was over, but the aftershock was only just beginning. In the distance she could hear tires screeching along the pavement like hellhounds, and her phone was going off like mad.

David pulled in first and flew from his car. "Trina!" He threw his arms around her, holding her protectively in his arms. She hugged him back, closing her eyes as she buried her face into his shoulder. "Trina, thank god you're safe."

The paramedics said she might have a concussion, and her body was scraped up to the point they were going to take her to the hospital, but other than that, she escaped too grievous injury.

"I never liked that asshole," David growled, "I knew he was nothing but trouble the moment I met him." David glared at the patrol car that Beck was sitting in and sneered. "I hate him. I hate him with every fiber of my being."

"Dad, it's okay…please, just…just be here for me."

"I am."

Sandra pulled in next, at first reacting to Trina's state when she looked at the store camera on the phone and saw her condition. When the police were called out, it didn't take long for her to be contacted.

"Oh god are you alright?" Sandra asked while looking over every inch of her. "Who did this to you? What barbarian…"

Next was a sound louder than the thunder had been that night. Tori's car roared into the parking lot and started spinning in the rain. Trina's heart stopped as she watched her sister and Jade fall out of the car. "What's she doing here?" Trina asked.

David stepped back and took a deep breath. "I let her know. The police called me up, saying there'd been something going on at your store and that someone was injured…I texted your sister that I thought something happened to you."

Tori flew to the patrol car like a banshee, screaming and pounding her fist on the window. "I'll kill you Beck," Tori hissed, "If I ever get my hands on you, I'll tear your jugular right out of your throat you scrawny little prick. I swear to god!" Tori slammed her palm on the window. "You'd better be lucky this door is locked you fucking piece of shit, be glad I can't reach in there right now and gouge your eyes out you snot nosed little-"

"Tori, stop it!" David's voice echoed in the air and Tori jerked her head back. "Stop, can't you see your sister's been hurt? She doesn't need this, leave him alone before they arrest you too."

Trina looked around until her eyes settled onto Jade. The girl was frozen in front of Tori's car, with the headlights forming an aura around her. Jade's face was filled with horror and her eyes flooded by tears and disbelief.

"Jade?" Trina staggered forward and moved slowly as the girl's trembling eyes moved to her. "Are you okay? I-This-"'

"Forget about me," Jade replied in a quiet voice, "I don't matter right now. This is you, this happened to you. He…He did this to you…" Jade whimpered and looked her up and down. "Your pants are all torn. What-" The girl's voice broke and realization flashed before her eyes. "Oh god, Trina."

"It's nothing," she lied, "They were torn in the struggle that's all." Beck didn't get far with her anyway, so Jade didn't need to know what he tried to do or was in the process of doing when Jason stopped him.

"What happened, Trina?"

"I-Beck attacked me, that's all."

"I'm so sorry." Jade hugged her, catching her by surprise. She broke into a light sob and shut her eyes as the girl's trembling voice comforted her. "I'm so, so sorry."

Trina saw Tori pacing, rubbing the back of her neck furiously and glancing at the police car with great agitation. She wanted Tori to calm down, but could hardly calm herself down.

"I need a moment." She looked around for Jason, and upon seeing him, moved over and grabbed his hand. For now, she wanted to cling to him, because he was the one thing she knew was safe.

When she saw her sister spy an officer picking up the clearly cut belt, she knew without doubt what was to come. Tori flew into another rage, screaming as she ran back towards the car. "What the fuck did you try and do to my sister, you asshole? You better watch your back, you better hope they don't let you out! If I get my hands on you-" David grabbed her away quickly, holding her back while signaling the police.

"Get moving," he ordered loudly, "There's nothing left here to do but get my daughter to a hospital."

* * *

Things change here. Jade's reaction will be explored later, so just letting you know it's not the focal important thing here, but you know what she's realizing for the first time. This is the incident that changes everything for everyone, the question is how? How do you suppose? What Beck did was terrible, but Trina survived, and it looks like she's already deciding to try and be strong. What are your thougths on everything?


	25. Aftermath

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 25 (Aftermath)

Trina awoke to Jason beside her hospital bed. He was seated in the chair, hunched forward. His left hand wrapped around hers, and his right hand was brushing through her brown bangs. "Hey there," he whispered softly. Trina squeezed his hand gently and smiled back at him.

"Hey." Where she should be in pain, the doctors had given her some morphine to dull it. On the way to the hospital, she had been feeling a great deal of pain, and through testing they discovered she had some internal bleeding. As a result, they operated on her quickly. "Dad was just in here, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, he's standing watch outside. He's been really worried. We all have been." Jason swept his hand slowly down her hair. "I'm just glad you're okay." She didn't want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't been there. It hurt and scared her to think she came so close to what happened, but she was a survivor.

"Chalk this up to one more thing my sister's friends did…but this time it's all on _him_." She closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side. "Thank god you were there. Thank god you decided to give your students that quiz."

"Yeah. When I got out there, he was surprised I was still there." She opened her eyes halfway and furrowed her brow. "According to him, he'd been watching me too." Jason narrowed his eyes and pulled his lips back into a deep scowl. "I do pop quizzes on specific days, routinely rotating them. This was one off day, but he knew the days apparently…he fucking planned this on a day I wouldn't even be there."

"He knew you could see what was going on."

"Yeah." Jason breathed out slowly and looked over his shoulder. "You've got a lot of people wanting to talk to you. Tori wants to talk privately, but I don't want to leave your side." She tightened her grip on his hand and held her breath. He smiled gently and leaned down, kissing her forehead. "I'll stay by your side."

"Jason."

"Yeah?"

"I love you." He raised her hand to his lips, holding it there for a second.

"I love you too."

"Thank you for being there-for stopping him." Her eyes welled up with tears. She looked off to the side, scoffing momentarily. "I can't-I can't believe I couldn't fight him off. I wasn't strong enough."

"You're plenty strong. He caught you off guard, that's all. Trina, you had no control over what happened. Don't kick yourself for it. You're an amazing person."

She breathed in slow, relaxing her grip and muscles. "No you're right. I'm not going to let him destroy me. That's what he wanted, I'm not giving him that. He won't shake me now…I can't let him. I won't."

"No matter what, I'm here for you."

"I know." She leaned her head against his hand and rubbed her head along it and his forearm. "If there's anyone out there, I'll talk to them. I don't mind. Tori, Daddy, whomever…"

"Okay, I'll go let them know." She watched him leave, and for a split second, she felt afraid by herself. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and held it for a moment. She wasn't prepared for the onslaught of questioning or conversation that was sure to come, but she wanted to go ahead and get it over with.

It was startling to see everyone that was there, more so that she realized they cared about her or were concerned more than she thought they'd be.

Jason walked in soon with Sandra and Mandy. There was an odd look in Mandy's eyes, slightly overpowered by concern. "Trina dear, how are you?" Mandy asked while stepping to her side. "Sandra told me what happened. Mr. Shay as well, but I wouldn't worry…"

"Why does he have to know?" Trina filled with suspicion and uncertainty. "I don't need everyone knowing what Beck did or tried to do to me." She did understand that maybe it had less to do with just idle chitchat and more to do with necessity. "Or is he concerned with something else?"

"Something else, that's why Sandra and I asked him to stay outside." Jason leaned in, whispering to her that the owner and his son were, in fact, in the hospital. "You don't need to be burdened right now. I'm just here because I wanted to check on you, see how you were."

"I appreciate that." She folded her forearms. "Shay's concerned I'll try and sue or something?" Mandy bit her lip and Sandra exhaled. "It's okay, you can tell me if he's worried about it."

"You were in work uniform, coming out of Subway when you were attacked by a regular customer known to Sandra as a stalker and troublemaker. He's worried someone might hold Subway liable."

"No." She waved her hand. "Even if I thought Subway was liable, I wouldn't do that. You guys are like family." Mandy smiled. Sandra sat beside her, placing her hands on her knees and looking down at Trina.

"We are glad you are okay," Sandra replied, "Also I'm revising my schedule for the week. I don't want you working for the rest of the week." Trina's brow furrowed and she tried to sit up, but only got an inch off the bed before falling back.

"No, I want to work."

"I know, but you must rest. I give time off. Nancy and the others understand. I no tell Nancy exactly what happened, but she knows you're a victim of some crime. She said she's willing to work extra hours-same for Helen and Jorge, we're a team, everyone's together."

"But I _want_ to work." She was okay with going back to that location, she didn't mind it at all. Hell, she'd even close-she wasn't scared. "Beck's in jail, he can't hurt me, right? I mean, I'm okay…"

"I understand sweetie." Sandra smiled gently and reached over, pausing a second before running her fingers through Trina's hair. "But you need to. There's no shame in it."

Mandy nodded her agreement. "It's easy to feel like you can do it, but if you jump back right away, you might struggle. You're hurting, and whether or not you're calm and able to handle it, there's still going to be moments that catch you-and that would affect things."

"Is there an order saying I can't go back to work right away?"

"No, but Mr. Shay would prefer you take at least a week or two off."

Her problem was more along the lines that if she didn't work, she'd have nothing to do but sit at home, alone with her thoughts. If that were the case, she'd be focusing wholly on the incident, and she didn't need that.

"I'm afraid of being left with only my mind. I know my mind enough to know that things that affect me affect me when I've got nothing to busy myself with." left with only my mind. I know my mind enough to know that things that affect me affect me when I've got nothing to busy myself with."

Trina felt Jason's hand running down her forearm, and she turned her attention to him, gazing into his loving eyes. "Why don't you use that time and come to my studio? I think taking those classes will really help you."

"But-"

"I know Jade isn't going to worry about you being paranoid, and I know you're not jealous." He put his hand to his chest. "Hell, I'm the one asking you to come take my classes. I know you wouldn't do it because you're suspicious of Jade. I trust you more than that."

She sighed with defeat and closed her eyes. "I know." Her mind jumped back to her running from Beck, and she clenched her hands on the hospital bedsheet. "Years ago, I could fight him off. I kicked his, Andre's, and Robbie's ass altogether." Jason chuckled softly and she opened her eyelids halfway. "I couldn't fight him off last night."

Tears ran down her cheeks, burning them as she found herself struggling to breathe like she had been the night before. "H-He was going to rape me, going to kill me, and I couldn't protect myself." Sandra's eyes shut and she turned her head, pressing her lips tightly together. Mandy's eyes opened a bit, as though she hadn't known the specific details. "I should have been able-"

"It isn't your fault, Trina. He overpowered you by catching you off guard. You couldn't fight what you weren't prepared to fight-what you didn't _have_ to fight."

"I know, I just…I can't stand not being able to defend myself." She would do it if she had to, unafraid of what Jade might think her intentions were. If this incident showed her anything, it was that she hadn't been strong enough to get away from Beck, and she hated being defenseless and vulnerable. "I once was great at martial arts, great at sports, and I'm not anymore…but I want to be, I want to be better."

"So you'll come take my class? Even for one day?"

She rolled her lips against each other and closed her hand around Jason's. "I'll consider it at least." She smirked and rolled her head to the right. "So long as you don't give me special treatment. Lord only knows what your students will think of your girlfriend being there." Jason smirked back and wagged his eyebrows.

"No special treatment as long as you don't distract me."

"Oh nice try," Sandra remarked with a laughing smile and rolling of her eyes. "I hardly think Trina's to blame for distractions, mister." The couple blushed and the door to the hospital room started to slide open.

To her surprise, she saw the young Asian Lieutenant entering. "Lieutenant Rand?" Trina tried again to sit up, this time Jason put his hand to her back and lifted the pillow behind her so she could lean against it. "I already gave my statement to the officers."

"I know," he replied, "I'm only coming to see how you're doing. It's good to see you're awake and alright." She gave him a smile. "You're a survivor, and I don't know how, but I think your father appears more broken up."

"I'm just better at hiding it." It was a joke, since she wanted to try and make herself laugh despite the unpleasantness. Lieutenant Rand chuckled softly and reached into his jacket.

"Well, I also wanted to give this to you." He removed a business card and handed it to her. She read it carefully and furrowed her brow.

"Sarah Grant?"

"She's our department's psych counselor, one of the best in this area. You can see her for a discounted price, if you would like."

"Really?" Her hands trembled as the Lieutenant's generosity caught her off guard. She wasn't even working for him, yet he offered such an olive branch? "This is nice of you, but I don't even work for your department."

"I know, but I figure it's the least I can do."

"I appreciate this." She was speechless, and would certainly take advantage of the therapy being offered to her. She wasn't sure how much she would need it, but for all she knew it could be useful. "I don't know what to say."

"Nothing needs to be said."

"Thank you."

She heard a noise and looked to see Jade peeking in through the door. Rolling her eyes, she waved the girl inside. "Come on in, Jade." Jade sauntered in, hanging her head and knotting her two index fingers together. "Hey Jade. I'm probably going to start taking Jason's classes. You won't think the wrong thing, will you?" Jade raised her head, gasping out.

"What?" She shook her head quickly and flashed a smile. "Oh no, of course not. I think it's great that you will."

"Okay, so that's done. What's up? How are you feeling?" She frowned, curling her eyebrows together. "I know you were still holding out hope that Beck would-"

"He's an asshole." Jade crossed her arms and looked away, her voice breaking. "I know you were trying to protect me, lying when you said he didn't try to…you know…"

"Jade, please. I'm trying not to think about that."

"Sorry, I just…" Jade dropped her arms and shoulders with a frustrated sigh. "Tori's pissed off, rightfully so. I guess we're even. I can't stand what she did to me five years ago, and she's calling what Beck did to you the 'latest in line' of hurting you and causing you pain. It doesn't matter though, I just wanted to come talk to you. Come see you…"

Jade placed her hands on the footboard and breathed out heavily. "I was deluding myself into hoping Beck was the same, that I could have what I had years ago. Living in the past, praying that I could just go back. I didn't even see, or want to accept that things were different…so different…I know that now, and Trina, I'm so…so sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything." Jade raised her head. Her eyes trembled and tears fell over her cheekbones. "Picking on you when Tori-" Trina raised her hand and cleared her throat.

"Don't blame my sister, okay?" Jade stopped and nodded harshly. "Sorry." She lowered her hand and sighed. The excuse was tiresome; Tori was responsible for a great deal, sure, but Tori's egging on would hardly have been successful if the girl didn't realize Jade and the others would be the type to bully someone in the first place. "Yes, Tori told tall tales to get you to like her. Yes, she constantly put me down and made me out to be someone nobody would ever like…but don't put the full blame on her, got that?"

"Okay."

"No, not just 'okay'." Trina pointed and squinted. "You, Beck, Andre, Robbie…You bought into her stories in the first place. Tori knew just by how you treated her that you were the type to be a bully, to be aggressive. You guys made the decision to pick on people, to pick on me. You made that choice, not her, she only held the bait out. You all took the bait. So it's not 'your sister said', you're as responsible as anybody. Do you understand?"

"Yes…"

"You're responsible for bullying. Robbie's responsible for dropping me from a harness. Beck's responsible for what he just fucking did to me. _Not my sister_." Jade smiled gently.

"I know, and I'm sorry." Jade stepped forward, stopping short of Jason while still looking into Trina's eyes. "I accept responsibility and you don't have to forgive anything I did to you. I just…I want to know if maybe we can start over?"

"Give it time, Jade. Please…"

"Do you blame me?"

"For what?"

"For Beck?"

She didn't have to think about that for long, she was fully aware Beck was responsible for himself and no one else controlled him. "It was his decision." Trina shrugged. "You didn't tell him to do it. Neither did Tori. Maybe what happened five years ago pissed him off enough, maybe he wanted to hurt Tori by hurting me-god knows how that works-but it was his decision alone." She rubbed her chin and narrowed her eyes. "Do I blame you? No. Am I angry? Am I hurting? Yeah, but because of him. For once, you had nothing to do with it…be happy about that at least…"

Jade frowned and grew incredibly still, but nodded to show she understood. "I know we're not friends, and I know you don't like me much."

"You never gave me a reason to like or respect you."

"I know. I hope…I hope maybe that can change and we can start over and _try_ to be friends. Just for now, know I'm really sorry about Beck, and I wish you never had to go through what you did."

"I appreciate it."

"Oh, um, Cat's here too. She was at the movies last night when Beck attacked you, so she didn't know what happened until we texted her. She's calm, so if you want me to, I'll-" As if on cue, Cat burst in through the door.

"I'm done waiting," Cat shouted, "I want to see my best friend." Trina flinched as Cat rushed in and threw her arms around her. "Trina, oh my god, thank god you're safe." By now the room was getting alarmingly full that she was getting uncomfortable, but she didn't want to say anything because she knew everyone was there for her.

"It's great to see you, Cat." She smiled at her friend, thrilled at her presence. "I think I missed you last night."

"I should have been there." Cat leaned back, clenching her fists and groaning. "Ugh, to think that douchebag would try something like that. I swear to god I was ready to hunt him down after I heard the news."

"Join the party," Jason muttered. Cat looked at him curiously and Jade nodded. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Tori tried to tear him a new one right there in the parking lot. I think she's seriously considering the thought of finding him and killing him, I know I want to, but I'm here for Trina…" He snapped his fingers and motioned at Lieutenant Rand. "That said, you guys might think about putting Beck in protective custody before trial, we've got a few very pissed off people here."

Lieutenant Rand chuckled. "Heh you don't have to tell me twice. Criminals that try something like this, usually we do put them in protective custody. It wouldn't be the first time a loved one of a victim went and attacked the person responsible."

The only thing Trina could tell was Tori seemed liable to do just that. "I don't want it to sound like a warning, but be careful with Tori guys…she gets really worked up easily, her heart isn't so good. Rage doesn't help her…"

"I will be just fine," Tori's voice chimed in. Trina jerked and everyone looked to see Tori standing in the doorway. She was leaning against the frame and had her arms crossed. How long she'd been standing there, Trina wasn't sure. "Can I talk to my sister now?" Tori narrowed her eyes and poked a thumb over her shoulder. "Privately?"

The others started to file out, but Jason and Cat stayed behind. Trina nodded at them, giving permission for them to leave. Tori closed the door behind them and sighed.

"God. I thought I'd never get a chance to talk to you." Tori approached her bed and sat beside her. The look in her eyes was that of fear and concern, strange to see. Tori smiled gently and pulled Trina's blanket up. "You know I love you, Trina?"

"You have a funny way of showing it." Trina smiled back and reached for Tori's hand. "But yeah, I know. Maybe I've doubted it a few times…"

"I'm sorry that I ever put you in the position where you had any doubt. I was just jealous of you."

"Why?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I was the weak one, the one with all the imperfections. You were the gymnast, you were the one that seemed to have the world in your hand. You could go anywhere, do anything."

"That never meant you couldn't. We all have our limitations, Tori. I was never perfect. You know that."

"Yeah…" Tori clenched her eyes and tightened her grip on Trina's hand. "Even now, I can't help but to feel all of this is my fault." Tori shook her head and trembled her voice. "I'm angry, but I blame myself for everything. If it hadn't been for me…Jade, Beck, and the others would never have met you. They would have never had reason enough to dislike you or pick on you. Maybe then, if it wasn't for my own fucked up ways, Beck wouldn't have hurt you in the way he did."

Tori sobbed once and leaned forward, hugging Trina close. "I've got problems Trina, I know that. I never meant to hurt you, I never meant to push you away. I want to work out my problems, I just don't know how."

"I know you don't like the thought of therapy, but…that Lieutenant out there gave me a card for a counselor." Tori hummed and Trina showed her the card, watching as her sister's eyes read over it. "Maybe we could go together for a session sometime?"

"Ugh maybe. If she's not a crackpot."

"Lieutenant Rand swears by her. I think it'll be good for both of us." Trina thought for a moment, recalling an old thought she had. "You know, a while back I was thinking…maybe the two of us could rent an apartment together." Tori's eyebrows rose and she stammered for a moment. "Close to Dad, of course. He needs us, Tori. Whether or not you accept him, I mean-"

"I accept him." Tori rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I mean I've just been angry. I know all that shit isn't his fault, but I was trying to figure a way to sort out everything. Everything was already chaotic when I found out, and mom certainly didn't help."

"I know. Have you told him?"

"I don't think he'd forgive me. I think that's a pain I caused a long time ago that can't possibly be mended."

"You never know. Tell him." She pat Tori's hand and smiled vaguely. "He's still our dad, and you have to remember, he fought to take us in when he definitely didn't have to." Tori glanced to the side and swayed to the right.

"Yeah, that is true. I guess he would have to love us, despite how we wound up being conceived."

"He does; and yeah you hurt him, but I think if you really wanted to work on fixing things, he'd be thrilled."

"Sure. We'll see. As for your offer of an apartment…"

"You _have_ to get a job first, though." Tori leaned back slowly. Trina stared at her with firmness; she wasn't going to accept Tori not working. "A real job, earning real money, to pay for at least half whatever rent we have."

"I guess so. It's something to think about, and I'll certainly look."

"Good."

"But what about Jade? She has no roommate."

"I think she'd be able to find one." It was possible Jade and Tori needed some space between them anyway. Given what happened, Trina had doubts that their friendship could easily be mended. If it could be, space was probably the first necessary thing to aid.

"She and Cat have been fixing their old friendship lately, so who knows."

"It's going to take time, for everyone, but maybe everything can be fixed if everyone's willing to put in the effort." Tori smiled at her and slowly massaged Trina's hand with her thumb.

"I want to do that. I want to be your sister again. I can't lose you, I don't want to lose you." Her heart broke hearing this, of course she never thought Tori cared as much. There was a genuine note in Tori's voice, so she couldn't possibly doubt her, but it was amazing that it took this long for Tori to come around.

"What caused this?" Her brow furrowed and her lip tucked under her front teeth. Tori closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Just…" Tori's shoulders rose and her chest expanded. "I've always cared, Trina. I've always loved you, and Beck knew that. Hell, he probably remembered the time towards the end of the friendship that I tried to tell everyone to lay off you."

"What?" Her eyes opened wide and Trina chuckled softly.

"Yeah, it wasn't long after we found out Robbie was behind the harness incident. I told everyone to stop picking on you, I told them you were my sister and I loved you despite how I may have acted. I was sick of how they were treating you, sick that I was the one that led them to hurt you so much…they didn't pay much attention, except maybe Cat, and Beck…Beck knew how much I cared about you, he knew how much you meant to me."

"Why did you not say anything?"

"I don't know. Maybe I thought you wouldn't believe me, much less listen? Maybe I was too filled with jealousy and rage to do anything about it afterwards? God Trina, it was years ago, I don't remember."

She was glad Tori could tell her this. It certainly was a start.

Just then, the door opened and the two sisters looked to see who was intruding on their conversation. When they saw Holly, their hearts stopped with all the sound and movement in the room. There were tears in her eyes, and her hand firmly clutched her purse.

"I'm the last person you girls want to see, I know," Holly began, "But I heard what happened. I needed to be here…"

* * *

So many things in this chapter here, and now we have Holly's sudden return. What are your thoughts about everything here? I know there's a lot, so do tell.


	26. Damage Control

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 26 (Damage Control)

"I tried to run, but he outran me." Trina inhaled and tightened her fists. "I was fast when I was younger. I could outrun anyone." She looked up at her mother, furrowing her brow and holding onto her breath. "I should have been able to get away from him…"

Tori had left the hospital room, seconds after Holly showed up. Trina felt they needed to talk as a family on neutral ground, but this wasn't the time or place to try and mend fences.

"Trina." Holly smiled gently and took a seat next to her hospital bed. The woman reached over, curling her hand over Trina's balled fist. "Firstly, you were on the track team when you were younger, then you quit. That decision has little to do with what happened to you last night, you don't need to blame yourself or look for anything to suggest why or how you could have done anything different. When confronted with a monster like that, you don't control their actions or how the situation will end up."

She sniffled and leaned sideways, placing her head against her mother's upper arm. "If it hadn't been for Jason. I'd be like those girls on the news…thrown in a dumpster like trash, murdered. He tried to ra-" She choked on her words and fresh tears flooded her eyes. Holly's mouth firmly closed and her lips pulled into a straight line

Her chest ached with the desire to scream as she recalled the details. "He put my apron around my head." It was difficult to speak, and her words were slurred by her trembling voice. "The dumpster wasn't too full, and the trash collector would have come by this morning. No one would have ever found me, momma."

Holly wrapped her arms around Trina's body, pulling her close and patting her on the back. "It's okay, baby. You're safe now." She turned her face into Holly's chest and started to sob, her voice growing more incoherent with each second.

"I tried running, I tried shouting for Jason-for anybody-but he grabbed my apron and pulled me back. I was helpless. I hate being helpless, momma. I'm stronger than that, I'm…I'm stronger…"

"Sweetheart." She pulled her head back and watched Holly remove a few tissues from her purse. The woman gently pressed the tissues beneath Trina's right eye, so she closed her eyes and breathed in at the warmth wiping away her tears. "You're safe, and certainly not helpless. Even the strongest person in the world, or the fastest person in the world, might struggle with tragedy, but they'll still get up."

"I don't see Allyson Felix or Jackie Joyner having trouble." She sniffed and looked away. The two runners were among her favorite athletes of all, part of a list she'd kept many years ago.

Holly pulled the tissue back and chuckled. "They're in the public eye sweetie, we don't know what goes on in their personal life, but I can almost guarantee you they know tragedy like anyone else."

"I guess."

"Do you still like sports?" Trina perked up and quickly nodded. She was an avid watcher of most sports: Whether the Super Bowl, Baseball, The Olympics, she would watch.

"All the time." She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and sighed. "Used to be, it was the only time Dad would come out of his office. We'd sit down and watch the Super Bowl or the Olympics together."

"Yep." Holly laughed out. "I remember when you were just a kid, and the super bowl would come on." Trina grinned from ear to ear and pulled at her bed sheet with some excitement. "The two of you would commandeer the entire living room. Popcorn, snacks, team uniforms."

"I was really into sports."

"Oh yes." Holly's eyelids slid halfway and a smirk twisted on her face. "I believe you always said you were going to 'marry one of those athletes'. Now, that man out there in the hallway certainly looks like one. Is that Jason?" Trina blushed furiously and pulled her sheet over her face in an attempt to hide the blush.

"Yes. He is my boyfriend, and he's a martial artist."

"So he is one of those athletes."

"Mom, you're embarrassing me."

"How?" Holly poked her side, creating a tickling sensation that made her body jerk away as she laughed. "He's outside, isn't he? Who can hear?"

"Momma…" She lowered the sheet and looked up at her mother's calm eyes and gentle smile. Her gaze dipped down and her forehead started to crease. "Mom, why are you here? You left us for Gary, right? Didn't want anything to do with us…Tori even says -"

"I lied." Trina jerked back and grew still. "I hurt your sister in a way I never should have, and I know I hurt David. I was angry, out for revenge, much like your sister is now." Holly looked at the door, shaking her head from side to side. "That Beck should be glad to be locked up where your sister can't get to him."

"Mom." She closed her eyes and her face tightened. "Focus."

"When I left, I was on a mission of my own. Tori wanted to come with me, and kept fighting me every time I told her she couldn't go, so I told her what I had. I wasn't thinking properly at the time, so dead set on my own lust for revenge that I tore my family apart."

"You have _no_ idea." Trina breathed in deep, holding it for a second while looking to the door. "Tori is more than just pissed with you, and Dad says you told him it's hard to love him."

"It is hard." Holly nodded slowly and Trina swallowed. "Because of what your grandmother did to him, he always shied away from physical touch or intimacy, so it was very difficult, but I'll be honest…I never stopped loving him, never stopped caring about him."

"Then what about Gary?"

"There wasn't a true affair going on there. He was a friend, someone that knew us in the past and was angry too." Trina could see through the partially cracked door, someone standing and listening. It looked like it was Tori, and if that were the case, she knew major damage control was going to be needed. "All through the years, I wanted to put Linda away, I wanted her to suffer, and even considered killing her a few times."

"You…went after her?"

"I stalked her for a good five years, waiting for a chance." Holly shut her eyes, and a noticeable look of disgust came over her. "She's still hurting children, the children at the school she teaches at. Her current class showed little sign, but a teacher of the grade up, then one from the next, brought forward several students who were able to open up. That led one or two of the students in her class to speak out, because older kids did…"

Trina cupped her hands over her mouth and felt her heart drop to the bile in her stomach. "Oh my god. I already thought she was a monster…what she did to dad…"

"She needs to pay." Holly tensed her muscles and an angry fire burned in her eyes. "But she can't." Trina lowered her hands and pursed her lips. Her mother slammed a fist on the bed and shook her head from side to side. "Someone ran her off the road recently."

She gasped and leaned forward, a worried look cast itself onto Holly. "I didn't hear about that." Holly bowed her head and an exhale rolled from her lips.

"No, because the call came in to Gary's precinct. He knew David wanted nothing to do with that woman, and felt it was better to say nothing to David about what happened."

"Is she dead?"

"No, he would have said so otherwise. Linda is comatose right now." Trina bit her teeth together and shook her head, growling at whomever was responsible. It pissed her off that Linda wouldn't be held responsible for her crimes, even now she was getting away with everything.

It dawned on her, the reason her mother was even at the hospital in the first place. Holly wouldn't have known what happened to her so soon if she hadn't already been present, and Linda would likely have been flown into this hospital.

Her body grew numb and she thought about her sister's anger, and how the girl had always been similar to their mother in behavior and attitudes. "Mom…you were already at this hospital when I came here, weren't you?" Holly closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Momma, tell me you weren't going to do something really bad."

"I was thinking of it." She shut her eyes, turning her head away from Holly. "I was standing over Linda with a syringe, ready to inject an untraceable poison into her IV. I knew what I was doing, and maybe I was praying for something to stop me, but all my anger and hatred towards her…I wasn't going to stop…"

"Mom, no."

"But then, a doctor and nurse stopped outside the door, so I had to hide the syringe just in case they came in. They didn't, but they were talking about a patient…talking about you. When I heard your name, and I heard what that bastard had done to you…I knew I needed to be here."

She looked back, smiling faintly at her mom. She could feel a bit of joy seeping into her, knowing she was the reason her mom didn't make a terrible choice, and knowing her mom was there to see her. "I'm proud of you, mom." Holly smiled back and leaned forward, kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes and breathed in as a tingling sensation crept across the top of her face and warmed her cheeks.

"I love you, dear. Both of you girls, even though I know the two of you-and your father-must hate me."

"We don't hate you. You made bad decisions, everyone makes bad choices."

"True…This family's broken, and I blame myself."

"It's not entirely your fault." Holly chuckled and raised a hand to her face. Trina's heart broke for her mom, and she frowned at the tears coming from the woman's eyes. She looked at the door and raised her voice. "Tori?"

Suddenly the person she saw standing in the crack of the door moved away. Her lips turned up into a brisk smile and she slowly shook her head. "Tori, could you and Dad come in here please?"

It took a moment, but the two eventually walked into the room. "There are a lot of angry people out there," David muttered, "I was trying to do damage control and keep people from lunging at each other."

"Well now it's my turn." Trina pointed at the two chairs positioned on either side of the door. "Sit. Please." They were far away enough that Holly could have some space. David and Tori sat down with some reluctance. Trina cast a somber gaze on her dad. "How are you holding up, Dad?"

"I'm not sure." He crossed his arms and breathed out. "I'm sad for you, angry at Beck, angry at your boss like Jason is-"

"What? Sandra didn't do anything…"

"More Shay than her, but they _know_ it's not safe to have one employee closing up a store at night. They shouldn't have done that, it's not ethical."

"Who else is mad out there? You said you were trying to keep everyone calm, what's going on?"

"Everyone's blaming each other, you don't need to worry about this Trina."

"Well I am."

Tori rolled her eyes and spoke over David. "Sandra and Mandy are at ends with Mr. Shay because he wants to question you and they're not letting him." Trina furrowed her brow and tightened her hand on her blanket. "He's wanting to fire someone because he thinks what happened to you shouldn't have happened-which it shouldn't have."

Tori's arms crossed over. "Jason and Dad have been asking why only one employee was working late at night. I'll be honest, Jade and I have been fighting a lot, and I guess to a degree I've been a little more accusative than I should have. Cat, strangely, is coming to her defense. Now, out of the blue, mom shows up."

Tensions were high, she could understand that. It wasn't unheard of for people to point fingers and try to assign blame in the wake of tragedy, even when there was already someone to blame.

"There's only one person responsible for what happened to me…" She took a deep, slow breath, and let it out carefully. "That's Beck. Nobody else knew, nobody else could have done anything different." People would always try and find reasons why someone would do something, ready to lynch the source of the problem.

The source was already known, even though no one could see it with blinded judgment. The source came from Beck, within his dark heart. "Beck wanted revenge." She opened her eyes and flicked them at Holly. "For five years he sat on that, for five years the hate in his heart just grew until he could go after someone he knew he could reach…he did it because he wanted to hurt my sister."

Holly raised her head, possibly realizing the connection Trina was trying to make. Tori looked away with frustration.

"Anger, hatred, revenge…when it grows, makes you do things. Things you know you shouldn't." She reached to the end table, picking up the business card the Lieutenant handed her before. "Mom? Can I have a phone?"

Holly removed her phone from the purse and handed it over, pulling her eyebrows together. "Sure. Why?"

"Because. This family's broken. We need help…" She dialed the number and saw her family staring at the card with mixed expressions. David's was that of sheer horror while Tori's was that of disgust. Holly appeared confused, so Trina focused on her. "This is the card Lieutenant Rand gave me for his department therapist, I want to see if she'll take a family session, so we can talk on neutral ground. Will that work for you guys?"

"Seriously?" Tori asked with a low growl. "I already agreed to therapy, individual and with you, and now you want me to do a family session?"

"You don't have to, but I think it would be helpful for everyone to start off with a family session."

"Fine, I'll do it. As long as we don't have to focus on anything else."

"I think…" Trina pressed her lips together and looked at the others. This was the only avenue she saw. Far be it for her to be the one to take initiative to try and heal or mend anything given her circumstances, but nobody else was going to.

David was hunched forward, his hands clasped together between his knees and his muscles tense. Tori was shaking her head and avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the room, while Holly was sitting as an attentive listener and perhaps the one person with the least resistance. "I think it needs to focus on what's wrong with this family. What made us a broken family, and how can we fix it." Tori rolled her eyes and David started to nod.

"There's a lot of lies and half-truths going on here. Everyone's trying to protect everybody else by either keeping secrets or hurting somebody, and that's not good. So I propose neutral ground to let everything come out…"

Tori finally made eye contact, her shoulders rose sharply and held their position for a second before a loud huff escaped her lips. "Fine," Tori answered, "I will do this."

"I understand it's important," David replied. His eyes moved slowly to Holly and then dropped.

Holly adjusted the bed sheet over Trina, pulling up a portion of it and then tucking it beneath her. "I never wanted to hurt anyone here. Sorry is easy to say, but hard for people to believe, and I know there are a lot of difficulties that need to be ironed out. We're not going to get that without help from someone, so I agree with you Trina…maybe help from a neutral third party will be a good place to start."

"Thank you." Trina smiled at them, and once she had their acceptance, she hit the call button for the number. It was not long before a pleasant feminine voice came over the phone.

"Hello, how may I help you today?"

"Hi ma'am, this is Katrina Vega, Lieutenant Rand gave me your number."

"Oh yes! He told me to expect a call from you. Are you wanting to set up an appointment?"

"Yes, I want individual appointments, but I also have a request. Maybe an unconventional one…"

"Okay, what is it?"

"Do you do family sessions?"

There was a brief pause, generating a worrisome feeling that this lady might not be able to help. "Um yes, I am able to accommodate family sessions on occasion."

"Do you also do sessions with two people? Like say, sisters?"

"I can, and I have. You understand, as a counselor for the police department, I see more than just the officers themselves, I also counsel their relatives on occasion. Tragedy, stress, life in general affects everyone. It goes far beyond affecting you, it affects those closest to you and can bleed onto third parties and then even affecting sources beyond that."

"Oh? I never thought about that."

"Take a person for whom, let's say anger, is a prominent emotion." Trina glanced up at Tori, who raised her eyebrows in question. "They will affect people close to them first, then those people may suffer stressors or anxieties that affect those closest to them, and the chain continues on until it affects people that the initial person will never personally know or meet in their entire life."

"I see. So…can you do a family session before an individual one?"

"It's tough because I won't know my client straight away, but I can."

"I'd like to arrange one for my family…the soonest available time you have might work."

"I will certainly pencil you in."

Once that was done, Trina asked that everyone be sent in. As Tori stated, there was a lot of anger amongst everyone, from shrewd glances to people trying to stand away from one another. Mentally, she was a mess and didn't want to deal with any of it, but someone had to speak up.

"Okay guys, I know everyone's upset. You're all angry, looking for reasons to dislike one another or being suspicious. I'm hurting, I'm in a lot of pain emotionally and physically right now…You have to realize, I don't even want any of this." She breathed in and shook her head.

"If you want someone to blame, blame Beck for doing this to me. If you're looking to rationalize, then I say really? How do we rationalize what just happened?" Trina raised her hand and pointed at Mr. Shay. "I respect you a lot, because you're Sandra's boss, but I don't blame Sandra or Mandy for what happened. I don't blame Subway, and I'm not going to attempt to sue for _anything_." The man held his hands in front of his waist and nodded. "I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing though."

It was closer to a snide remark than genuine appreciation, but she did appreciate if he was concerned. "I am truly sorry for what happened to you," the man replied, "If it makes you feel any better, then I do not hold Sandra liable in any way."

"Good, I'm glad." Sandra put her hand to her chest and breathed out. Trina smiled. "Besides, she told me to move my car to the front. I didn't. I forgot."

She turned her attention to Jade and Tori. "Now Jade, we talked about this before, and Tori…This isn't on your friends, it is solely on Beck. You can't and shouldn't blame Jade for Beck."

"I don't," Tori muttered, "I hold myself responsible but you know, it's hard not holding a grudge when you know the person that hurt your sister is someone that was once a close friend."

"Either way, maybe the two of you should stay away from each other for a little bit. Help the wounds and the anger on both sides settle and approach it at a later day. I know you're angry about a lot of what Jade and the others might have done to me over the years, and I know Jade's really angry about what _you_ did. There's a lot of broken trust, so you probably should take some time to separate."

"Probably."

"Now, I'd appreciate if all of you would just go home and take some time to cool off." It was insanely difficult to have this talk, since mentally she wasn't even prepared or wanting to deal with this. She wanted to deal with her own tragedy, not anyone else's. "Leave me alone for a while. Please. I have enough stress and anger of my own to deal with without dealing with everyone else's…"

"We'll go," David replied, "We're all concerned for you."

"I'll…be okay." Everyone started to file out, each giving their concerns. Eventually Jason was left, preparing to leave, but she didn't want him to leave. "I want you to stay with me." She smiled sadly and looked up into his eyes. "I don't really want to be alone, alone. I'm scared."

"I'm here." Jason sat beside her and took her hand in his. "What are you scared of?"

"Everything…" She put her head to his arm and closed her eyes. "Of Beck coming around the corner, though I know he's in jail right now. Of my mom coming back and my family exploding. Of coping with my problems and dealing with everyone else's."

"You don't have to deal with anyone else if you don't want to. Focus on yourself."

"I know. I just…I just had to make a decision someone else should make."

"What decision was that?"

"To fix what's broken with my family. I don't even know how. I think I have to be strong, but Jason, I don't know if I am strong enough anymore." She rubbed her head against his arm and felt his hand squeeze hers. "Just hold me. I feel safe with you, like I don't have to worry."

"You won't have to worry. Just rest."

"Don't leave."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." A soft hum vibrated at her lips, and her body started to relax as he put a strong arm around her. "Right now, it feels like you're the only one."

* * *

So what are your thoughts? Certainly a major step is being taken here. Looks like Trina's the one pushing things forward, which may not be the ideal thing for her right now.


	27. Stronger

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: By the way guys, Lieutenant Rand is based on the real life lieutenant that is a regular at our store. Funny story, I didn't realize he was a Lieutenant until he told me to go ahead and look up the city's department job, where I saw positions such as Crime Victim Liaison with the application to be sent into the very Lieutenant that had always been there. He's a pretty cool guy, and who knows, maybe-hopefully-a door into my career field.

* * *

Chapter 27 (Stronger)

Trina met with Lieutenant Rand and a short tall woman with long dark hair. The woman had a pleasant ruby smile and gentle blue eyes reminding her of a cool and crisp ocean. "This is one of our victim liaisons," Lieutenant Rand spoke, "Valerie Williams."

"Hi Trina, how are you?" Trina locked eyes with the woman and shook her hand. She was curious how many positions there were for a Crime Victim Liaison, since she saw an opening for it once before-to her great surprise, she had to make that application out to Lieutenant Rand.

"I'm okay. Been better, but I'm okay." She took a seat at the table and folded her hands in front of her. She wore a purple blazer over a light blue dress shirt and blue ascot. The shirt was tucked neatly into a pair of dark blue slacks. "I know I probably didn't have to get all dressed for this, but I wanted to." She shrugged. "Gives me something to do."

"I understand." Valerie sat in front of her and the Lieutenant sat beside the woman. "So we wanted to give you a heads up. Do you know the status with Mr. Oliver yet?" Trina shook her head.

"Dad told me a little, but not everything. I think he's trying to protect me, to be honest, but I don't want the truth to be hidden from me." David mentioned Beck had been connected to another incident somewhere, but he wouldn't say what or how serious it was. "I understand some things can't be discussed, but that wasn't the case, Dad told me Beck had been connected to something else and then told me he wouldn't tell me what it was."

Valerie frowned and slowly nodded her head. The Lieutenant's beady eyes softened and his eyebrows moved together. "He's been connected to another murder that our department has been investigating." Her heart stopped and she raised her hands up towards her lips. "You're a survivor, but you're also the only one of his victims to survive…We also found a rape kit in his car."

Her right eyebrow rose up and she closed her eyes. "'Victims'." Her body trembled as her attack was still fresh on her mind. "As in plural? And a kit…he's done that before?"

"Yes."

"He said somewhere along the way he'd been practicing." Her breathing grew heavy and her eyes opened partially as her heart started to break. It was like having a bandaid ripped off, but she appreciated the honesty.

Valerie reached over, patting her hand gently. "It's my job to act as a go-between for you. I'll help offer any victims compensation that you need, any aid and so on. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you think you would be willing to testify against him?" Her muscles tensed and her hands lowered. She moved her body into a more erect position and her eyes sharpened as she thought of all that Beck may have potentially hurt in an attempt to harm her and her sister.

"Oh I'm testifying. No doubt about that." It was a difficult decision to make, but she wanted to see the bastard put away. "I don't want him to think he won. I want him to see that he didn't destroy me. I want to go up there on the stand, look him square in the eye, and tell the jury what he did."

She was going to be strong this time. If she hadn't been strong in her life, this was then the moment of truth for her. Beck wasn't going to win, not this time. "He…He has hurt me in the past." Lieutenant Rand and Valerie leaned back, raising their eyebrows. "Nothing like this, but there's history."

"What kind of history?"

"He was a part of a group of bullies, a group that always belittled me and put me down." She took a deep breath as her fingers curled into her palms. "He wanted to hurt my sister by hurting me, though, because of a fight five years ago. I'll tell you about that fight later, I feel like you want me to talk more about my relationship with this guy."

"Whatever you feel comfortable with," Valerie replied with a smile that soothed Trina's nerves.

She calmed herself down and spilled the entire sordid history, giving them everything they needed to know from the moment Tori met Beck Oliver and Jade West.

By the time she finished, she was confident she helped build a strong and solid case, one that would put Beck Oliver behind bars for a very long time.

It was hard getting through it, and some parts were tougher than others, but the importance of this information was greater than the pain caused by the memories. Part of her wished she could have brought Jason, her Dad, or even her sister to be here with her. Surely, their presence would have made this a world easier.

On her way home, she saw Jade walking by herself through the neighborhood and thought to stop and talk to the girl. As she pulled up alongside the curb, Jade stopped and looked at her with a furrowed brow. Trina rolled the window down and motioned for her. "Jade, this isn't anywhere near your house, what are you doing walking around here?"

"Thinking," Jade responded. The girl climbed into the car and smiled sadly. "I heard you had an appointment. How did that go?"

"Rough." Her stomach churned and her eyes dulled for a moment. "I had to walk them through everything. Not just what Beck did, but I gave them a comprehensive criminal profile almost."

"What? You mean like criminology?" Jade raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth in surprise. "The behavior and mental habits?"

"Yeah. Over the years." Trina curled her fingers around the steering wheel, tightening them. "Funny, years ago, I always thought if any of you guys were going to try and hurt me in some way…it was going to be you."

"I can understand that." Jade bowed her head and curled her hands around the hem of her knee-length skirt. Sensing the girl didn't just want to sit in one place and talk, Trina took her foot off the brake and started driving.

It was an aimless drive, something she used to like to do in the past on occasion. Oftentimes it helped distract the mind or calm the nerves, and right now, that was what Jade needed. "I know it's hard, Jade, and I'm sorry."

"You really shouldn't be the one apologizing." Jade's eyes filled with tears and her chest heaved. "If anything, I should, but-"

"We're both hurting."

"Yeah…" Jade hung her elbow from the car window and gazed at the scenery that passed by. "I'm giving Tori a couple weeks to have her things moved from my house." Trina's head leaned back and her hands slid to the bottom half of her steering wheel. She looked away to the left, gazing at a mailbox passing by. "After everything with Beck-" Jade's hands closed tight and her head shook. "Mentally I can't stop blaming her for making him that way, and I know she blames herself too. I can't stop being angry that I lost my fiancé because of her actions. Time away from each other, I need that."

"I guess I understand. I told Tori I'd think about helping her out, but only if she got a real job and contributed to rent. What will you do about a roommate?"

"Cat and I have become great friends again." She smiled at Jade, pride glistening in her eyes. "She's in need of a roommate, and looking to move in with someone."

"I think that's great." Cat needed a roommate for sure. She was selling her Nona's old apartment, since her grandmother passed away a few months back. "Good to see the two of you getting along again."

"Yeah." Jade raised her right hand to the side of her head and turned to look at Trina. "So if you don't mind me asking…what all did you tell Lieutenant Rand?"

"As if everything that happened from Tori starting out at Hollywood Arts to five years ago were some sort of reality show or book, I told them everything. Everything that you guys did to me, everything Beck did, even how I acted back in the day."

"That doesn't justify anything though, so don't go thinking your actions belittle-"

"I know. You don't have to tell me that." She rolled her eyes. It was hard enough seeing everyone blaming one another and trying to figure out who was responsible, but she couldn't stop anyone from doing it anymore. "Listen. Jade. Beck was in full control of his actions, his behavior, his attitudes…"

Jade nodded and swept the tears from her cheeks. "I keep telling myself, maybe I could have changed things. Maybe if I hadn't been so paranoid, or maybe if I didn't outright believe Tori that night…If I gave him a chance."

"Who knows what could have been different." Trina slowed the car as she passed by a large lake, eventually stopping along a shoulder. The girls turned their attention to it, growing calmer as they watched the shimmering ripples and the circular waves created by ducks playing in it.

Ducks were playful creatures, spending every day relaxing in the sun or bathing in the water. It occurred to her, they didn't worry constantly worry about yesterday, and it wasn't often they concerned themselves with the future. They opted to live in the moment, making every day the best they could as though they didn't have a tomorrow.

For her, she certainly thought she wasn't going to have a future; her future was to be snuffed out by Beck that night. She didn't want to worry about wanting to know how someone like him could have tried something like that on her, she didn't want to let it eat her alive anymore.

"It's hard to be strong," Trina said, "But maybe it's hard because we overthink everything." Jade pursed her lips and looked back at her. "Those ducks don't worry, they live each day without knowing whether it's going to be the last. They don't agonize over the past, they don't fear alternatives that didn't happen…"

"What Beck did to you…"

Trina rolled her head in a circular motion, sighing softly. "Attempted rape, attempted murder-which he planned." Jade shut her eyes and her hand trembled over her mouth. "Jason puts his pop quizzes on random days, but those random days actually rotate on set days. He did his pop quiz that night because he hadn't done one in a while, and it was not one of those days he usually set. Beck told me he practiced, Beck planned, and apparently was so shocked to see Jason that he proclaimed his plan was intended for a day he knew Jason didn't usually put them."

"He was watching your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. He knew Sandra only had one closer." Her throat tightened and her hands fell into her lap. "E-Everything he did was right, he made no mistakes. If not for Jason deciding to do a pop quiz, then he would have won."

"But he didn't."

"Exactly. The furthest he got-pulling my pants down-Jason stopped him. Do I focus on what would have happened had Jason not? No, I'm not going to. I'm not going to live in fear, I'm not going to let Beck think he's managed to leave a mark."

"Good for you."

"I'm telling you this because I know how you felt, and I'm sorry you have to know this about him, but it's important for you to realize that Beck was never the same man you remembered."

"I know." Jade's body sank and she opened her eyes partially. "I'm trying to live in the past anymore. If anything, this whole thing was…" Jade blew heavy from her lips. "This whole thing was a painful kick in the ass. I want too say that I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"He wasn't this way before five years ago. Maybe there were hints, little tiny clues to suggest a drive or desire to be in control, but he hadn't crossed that threshold yet. He hadn't lost all control, and it was only a matter of time before someone saw what happened when he had no power."

Jade rubbed her upper arm and looked back to the lake. "Thanks for this drive, Trina. You have my number right?" Trina nodded and a faint smile grew on Jade's face. "I know there's a lot of bad blood, but I'd like to consider a friendship. Starting over. Maybe."

"Like I said before, we'll see, and you'll see me in Jason's class." She looked dejected for a second, but the emotion flashed away almost as quickly as it came. "It's not 'no', Jade, it's a maybe. We'll talk, and see what happens naturally. Neither of us are going to force a friendship."

"I know. I guess I'll see you in class, would you drop me off at my car?"

"Sure, where are you parked?"

"The farmer's market."

"Alright."

By the time Trina got home, she noticed a missed call and text message from her father, worried when she didn't show up right away after her appointment. She entered the house, and it didn't take long for him to run up to her and hug her tight. "Where were you?" He asked hastily, "Did the meeting take longer? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, and no, I saw Jade walking around the neighborhood so I stopped to talk to her." A relieved breath fell from him and he took a small step back. "How are you, Dad?"

"Going crazy, it feels like." He ran his hand through his hair and fell onto the couch. "This is all exactly what I hoped would never happen to you. I wanted you to have a normal, happy life uninfluenced by criminals and people that would hurt you."

With a sigh, Trina sat beside him and moved her hand along his upper arm. "I wouldn't be able to live if I didn't know about those people. You don't have to try and protect me, or even Tori."

"I couldn't protect myself, damned if I wasn't going to try and protect you girls. And so I became a cop, keeping the bad guys off the street and away from you. Spending sleepless nights and waking days fighting them all…" He buried his head into his hands and hunched forward. "And I'd already let the one criminal invade my house and elude my grasp. Because why? Was I stupid? I feel like I failed."

"You didn't, Dad."

"Years that kid was in this house. Years I could have sent him on his way because I thought he was an asshole, but I thought he was _good_ for Tori. I thought he was a friend, and he was the fucking enemy that I couldn't see."

"There's nothing you could do, Dad. Don't beat yourself up, you had no reason not to trust any of Tori's friends." She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as her heart trembled and broke. Seeing him like this brought pained tears to her eyes.

She had to stay strong for her father, and she knew this was much more than just Beck. For him, this was his entire life; having the enemy right in front of him and not being able to see it or do anything about it."

David's breathing shuttered and quaked, and his voice fell quiet. "How much longer does it have to hurt?" Trina pursed her lips and brought her eyebrows together. "All I ever wanted was to provide a normal life-a life I never once had. I wanted you girls to be happy, to live a life without worry."

"But I am happy, Dad." She smiled faint as he raised his head. She never thought she'd say those words, but given recent circumstances in her life, she'd gotten to a point she'd never been. "I've got a boyfriend who loves and cares for me, a job with a boss that values me, and I'm in a better place than I've ever been. I'm not going to let Beck tear that away now that I've finally become happy and started at a good point in my life. He's not going to destroy that, I won't let him."

Her father chuckled sorely and closed his eyes. "When did you become so strong?"

"I'm not sure…I'm not sure I can call it strong, I just know what I want and where I want to be." She shook her head and leaned back, gazing up towards the ceiling. "I don't want to be a nervous wreck crying in the corner, thinking that nothing that's good in my life can be good anymore because of what Beck tried to do. He didn't stop the good things, he doesn't get to take away my happiness."

"Yeah…" David bowed his head and shivered. "It's hard to see the good. I'm so glad you can see good things happening for you, and I'm proud of you."

"You've got good things too, Dad." She cupped his hands and smiled when he turned his eyes into hers. "You've got me. You've got a career and a wonderful home." He smiled a bit, nodding his head.

"Your sister called me, wanted to talk. She said she's sorry, that she never truly blamed me, that she just didn't know how to react. She said she wants to try and reconnect."

"You see?" Trina hugged him once more and gently groomed his unkempt hair. "You've got Tori coming back to you. One step at a time, Daddy, you've got too much good to let anyone take that from you."

"I…I almost lost you"

"But you didn't. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." Trina moved to the other end of the couch and grabbed her laptop from the end table. "As a matter of fact, I've decided to shift my focus back to my career field, where it belongs."

"Really? I thought you enjoyed Subway."

"I do. I love it, but…I got a little distracted, it's the job to earn income while looking for my career." David sat up and leaned towards her, glancing down at her laptop with a proud smile. "Also, I told Lieutenant Rand, I plan on testifying in court against Beck. I want to put that bastard away for good.

"Good." He reached over, patting her on the back. She looked up at him with a bright smile and caught a gleam in his eyes. "You're really growing up, into a strong, admirable woman. I'm immensely proud of you."

"I guess…I'm just tired of thinking of myself as weak, or being the weak one. Tori's friends made me out to be weak, Beck tried to prove I was still weak, but…but I'm not weak." She tilted her head, curling her fingers on the laptop and raising her eyebrows. "Neither are you, Dad. You need to know that, you're not weak at all."

"I wish."

"You fought for me and for Tori when we were just babies." David breathed in and held it. "You could have left us, you could have hated us for what Linda had done, but you fought her and didn't give up. You raised us, and you took on a _very_ difficult career for someone that had gone through what you did…"

"I did what I thought was right."

"You're very brave, Dad. I've always thought that about you." David's smile returned to him. "I've always admired you and always thought you were the strongest person I knew. Then you told me what happened to you, I thought you were even stronger, braver still. I could never ask for a better father, or a better role model."

The tears that welled in his eyes brought the glistening moisture to her own. David cleared his throat and appeared to puff himself up. "Well." Trina grinned and swept her fingers across her cheek. "I don't know, uh, what to say."

"Nothing's needed to be said. I love you dad."

"I love you too, princess." He pat her hand and looked her in the eyes. "You too. I'll let you get some rest." She nodded and watched as he departed for his bedroom.

She knew he could heal, it would take time, but he could. Hopefully, all of them would be able to heal-sooner than later. It was just a matter of being strong, which didn't mean ignoring or denying the pain that plagued them, but just acknowledging it and not letting it take control of their lives and destroy them.

* * *

So what are you thinking through it all?


	28. Finding Oneself

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 28 (Finding Oneself)

The fire burned in Tori's eyes as she watched the warm flames dance across the wood. The trees that surrounded her offered shade from the blistering sun. Behind her was a large tent she helped put together, and beside her, a package of marshmallows and graham crackers. "I haven't been camping in forever," She stated in a calm and quiet voice. "Since before Hollywood Arts."

"I thought you'd appreciate it." Ian sat on a rock beside her and she raised her head slowly, smiling at the man. "I know how you used to love it. The outdoors, nature…"

"One thing my sister and I have in common." She pushed her hair over her shoulder and looked up at the leaves and branches above her. "I guess both of us can find some sort of peace in nature." She chuckled, folding her arms over her knees. "Serenity."

Behind their tent was the sound of a rushing stream, and water pouring down from a waterfall. It was an old favorite in the state park campgrounds. They used to set up campsite at the national park and go on hiking trails, and could spend hours climbing rocks and surveying the scenery. It was astounding to her that she'd been able to do all the physical activity, but Ian had always made sure not to push her too much or let her push herself too hard.

"That arts school never suited you." Ian leaned back and wrapped his hands around his upper knee. "I think you lost a little of yourself there. I can tell. You never were quite yourself." Tori leaned her head back, laughing aloud.

"I had the time of my life, I guess. An adrenaline rush." She smirked casually and narrowed her eyes. Ian smirked back, leaning forward and gazing at her knowingly.

"But you weren't happy. You were enamored with the rush, with being able to push yourself past breaking point and being able to remain standing." He was right; it wasn't so much a passion of the arts as it was the rush of surviving the chaos. "But what we used to do regularly, I think helped you more than that school ever did."

"Probably. I could certainly breathe easier with our hikes than I could exerting myself on stage." Tori crossed her arms and eyed him suspiciously. "How do you even know how I was back then?"

"You think I forgot you when you left Sherwood? I was at quite a number of your advertised concerts." Ian held his hands up to the sky, squinting one eye and spreading his hands apart. "'Hollywood Arts next rising star, Victoria Vega, performs tonight at town square'." Tori scoffed, turning her head away.

"Rising star. Screw that, I can't get anything more than smoke filled bars."

"That can't be good for your health."

"It isn't. I manage."

Ian frowned, folding his hand over his knee and looking to the fire. "How much do you make in tips?"

"Not much for a former high school singer with little vocal training." The truth of the matter was clear to her, and it left her bitter and angry: Hollywood Arts hyped their students up. They hyped students with the hope they might be discovered while still teenagers and in school, and the likelihood of discovery after them was next to none.

Her heart broke and her hand sank into her hands. "Hollywood Arts ruined my life, Ian." She shook her head slowly and growled out her words. "Everything about that school, from my 'hidden talent' to my own friends." She raised her head, and with it her voice. "One of the first people I ever met there just tried to murder my sister. Why? Because of me."

Ian reached over, patting her back gently. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her hands closed into tight fists. "That school turned me into something I wasn't. It made me selfish, it made me vain and vindictive. It changed me."

"Nothing external can change who you are, it can only influence you. The change comes from within. From your heart." She loosened her hands and furrowed her brow at him, watching as he put together the marshmallow and graham cracker, placing a Hershey's chocolate with it. "Some external things can blind you, deceive you, and play tricks on your mind. I don't think Hollywood Arts was all bad, I think it helped you realize you can put yourself out there without fear of the stuff that limits you, although I think that was dangerous."

"Maybe…" She shook her head. "No, you're right, it was."

"I think the rush that came from that made you want to pursue something that you never truly wanted, though." Ian held up the Smores, and Tori leaned forward, eyeing it hungrily. "Here, go ahead and have it. First one of the day's yours." She licked her lips and leaned forward, closing her eyes as he pushed the delicacy into her lips.

Her heart burst with joy as the chocolate and marshmallow melted onto her tongue. She brought her hand up to catch any stray chocolate that might be dripping from her lip and opened her eyes, smiling at Ian. "Man I love those things."

"I know." He smiled back and reached to make another one. "You used to love dipping your feet in the river over there." Tori's face went red and her arms slid across her belly.

"Yeah. I remember skinny dipping in that river." Ian raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side. Tori looked at him, laughing loudly. "Come on, you can't possibly have forgotten."

"No. No I haven't." He focused on the next treat, chuckling softly. "I seem to remember one of us telling the other not to do it."

"Nothing happened either, remember?"

"Surprisingly." He flashed a toothy grin and set a tender gaze on her. "You've always loved taking risks in the outdoors. That was safe, that was doable."

"It was natural, not forced. My body could handle it a lot better." In truth, she probably could deal with it a lot more now than before. In the past, it was sometimes a struggle climbing up steep inclines, to the point she'd make frequent stops. "Being an explorer, that I loved."

"You loved the wilderness, loved animals, loved seeing the world around you." Ian reached over, nudging her arm. "Remember when you said you wanted to climb all the mountains in California?" Tori stood up excitedly as the memory flashed before her eyes, she held her fist up to the sky and took a deep breath.

"To conquer nature, see the world and stand at the highest elevation possible." Ian rose, lowering his hand in a circular fashion.

"And breathe." She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, remembering one of the more spectacular things she'd done with him in the past.

"There was a small mountain we climbed once, out near the beach…" It was one of the first mountains, and that said, one of the more difficult ones. It wasn't as steep as some of the climbs they had done, but she was short of breath and complained the entire way to the top.

Ian kept telling her not to give up, and they would occasionally stop and snack or talk as she caught her breath.

Upon reaching the top of the mountain, she felt like she was on top of the world. The sky was orange and pink from the setting sun, the ocean was spread out like a canvas, swirling from the wind and rippling as the setting sun cast itself along the center.

The earth below had been like a blanket, and the people appeared as tiny specks on the land. "It was amazing, the first mount we ever climbed." Ian stepped behind her and looked up at the sky with her.

"It was. I think that was when you said you wanted to do more of that."

"Yeah. I was amazed I even made it up that thing, then the ones later…all the hiking."

"You paced yourself. It was all about pacing, and that's what was important in strengthening your heart and your body." The desire flashed before her once more and she spun around, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's do it again, Ian." He smiled back and nodded, giving her a rush of excitement and eagerness. It was a good rush, however, and one that felt safe.

"Maybe we will."

"It's so great to see you again. To spend time with you." She stepped forward, moving past him and looking at the waterfall. This was her natural element, and nothing else. This was where she found her happiness, her sanctum away from the world. "Great to be out here, out here where it feels like I belong."

"You remember Mr. Luyster?"

"My old Biology teacher?" She turned around, her heart now beating with excitement. "Yeah, I remember him." He was the one that was always telling her to become a biologist, to become the best person she could be in an environment she enjoyed and loved. She wanted to, she had to take his advice, but never did.

"I remember him talking about possibly starting some trip with students or something." She tapped her chin and raised up her eyebrows. "Did that ever pan out?"

"Funny you should ask." Ian crossed his arms walked alongside her. They began to trace the edge of the river, listening in silence to the peaceful rush of the water. Tori held her hands behind her back, gazing at Ian as he focused his attention on the water next to him. "Yeah, he moved on to teach at the local community college. He's a professor now."

"Amazing."

"Yeah. He teaches biology, and every summer, he and a geology instructor take a group of students on this month long wilderness trip." Her heart stopped and her jaw fell open. Ian turned his head back and raised a hand to his chest. "I'm a grad student now, and I go on as an aide on those trips every year. It's a class, it helps students earn credit, but it does so much more than that."

"W-What do you guys do? Where do you go?"

"We've been all over the place." He shrugged and looked out at the sky. "Each year is somewhat different, though some locations we like to go to more regularly. Once, we went up to Yellowstone and through the Grand Tetons. Another time, we toured the Rockies."

It all sounded phenomenal to her, to be able to explore and learn. "I'd love to do something like that."

"You always can, I'm sure Mr. Luyster would love to see you. You may have to be enrolled to take the classes though."

"Maybe." She bowed her head and ran her hand over her neck. "I need a job too. A real job."

"Well…" Ian walked ahead, moving his eyes up and to the corner. His tone teased her, making her lean in with an eagerness to know what he was going to say. "I might know someone…" Ian turned around and walked backwards. Tori squinted and moved towards him.

"What?"

"I don't know." Ian scratched his chin and hummed. "Are you right for it?" Her eyes opened wide and her head jumped from the left to the right.

"What is it? Yes! Wait, what is it? Don't tease me, Ian." She moved swifter and grabbed his shirt just as he walked his back into a tree. She knew he had something good, his tone and posture gave it away for her. "Tell me."

Ian flashed a smile and let his arms fall to the sides. "Mr. Luyster himself hires assistants and teacher aides for a starting rate of ten dollars an hour." Her jaw fell agape and her fingers tightened on Ian's shirt. "He's not just a professor. He goes on expeditions all over California, studying the life and organisms. He's a scientist, and maybe-just maybe he'd like to add you to his team."

"But I don't even have a college degree."

"That's okay. He'd teach you what you need, maybe even help you out a bit with college." Tori leaned in, her heart quivering as she bit her tongue in an attempt not to cry out in joy. "Remember the dinosaur bones excavated a year back?"

"In Southern California? Yeah, it was that really big Rex."

"Mr. Luyster and his team were credited with helping that. Some of his have also been studying new organisms found in the wild." Ian cocked his head to the right and wagged his eyebrows. "Think it's something in your wheelhouse?"

"Think so? I'd love it!" Not only was it work she'd enjoy, but it was working with her favorite teacher in the world. "I never told Mr. Sikowitz, there was only one teacher I favored more than him." She hugged Ian's neck, catching the man off guard. "Oh this would be an honor-the best thing ever!" Ian hugged her back, chuckling softly.

"I'll give him a call, see what he says. I have no doubt he'd hire you on the spot."

She leaned back, furrowing her brow. "You think? Why? Does he remember me?"

"Remember you? He talks about you all the time." Ian shrugged. "Back at Sherwood, you were his prime pupil, he thought you had the most potential of all his students. You were the favorite. He always said, most of his students learned only from the book, you always looked for other sources to learn from. He was a hard man to impress, and you impressed him back then."

"I always felt like I let him down when I left Sherwood."

"You didn't. He was sad to see you go, a lot of us were." She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Ian." Her forehead dropped to the crevice underneath his chin, and her body relaxed as a warm breeze caressed her. "Thank you for being here. You don't know what this means…"

Maybe she could find her way again, or at the very least, find herself. To see her favorite teacher, to spend time with Ian again and to explore the world. There was nothing so important to her in this moment, than knowing she might be able to find her own happiness.

* * *

So, a lot of good in this chapter. I figure we know she's already contacted him by this point. Now Tori's given an opportunity, going back to her roots and finding her passions all over again. With Ian, an old revered instructor may have a job for her-and the potential to train and teach her as well as helping with college. Who knows? Perhaps this will be good for her. What are your thoughts on this chapter?


	29. The Fight Remains

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 29 (The Fight Remains)

Walking to the door of Jason's studio, Trina could feel a new fire burning within her. As she set her hand on the door handle, she turned her head and looked back at the dumpster behind her store, thinking back to Beck's attack.

A sneer stretched across her face and she turned away, trying to push the memory from her mind. "Fuck you, Beck. You've succeeded at nothing." She started to push the door, and as it cracked, a familiar song rang out-taking her by surprise.

 _Like a small boat on the ocean, sending big waves into motion…like how a single word can make a heart open, I might have only one match but I can make an explosion_

"Really?" She started to smirk as a flash of boldness lit up her eyes. "Rachel Platten, Jason?" _Fight Song_ played on the Subway radio, and never until now had the song been so fitting to her life. Even still, it was unusual for Jason to listen to pop music since he was more into rock.

Trina entered the studio with a grunt, flaring her nostrils and scanning the area as the song filled her ears. The front area was a simple receptionist area with a desk and couch. Jason often graded his papers at the desk; something that Trina was immensely grateful for.

The receptionist was an older woman, possibly middle aged, with soft brown hair and gentle eyes. She looked up with a knowing smile and moved her hand to the open double doors. Trina thanked her and continued into the main area of the studio.

Jason stood like a statue in the center of the room, his arms crossed and head bowed with an expression of annoyance. His students surrounded him, each sparring with partners.

She curled her fingers over her chin, focusing on the brown lion fur that lined his shoulders. A cape extended from it. She knew about this, but never saw it in person because Jason didn't often like to wear it. That he was wearing it now could only mean someone put him up to this.

Her lips curled into a smirk and she dropped her hands behind her back, opting to wait as the song played its chorus. Closing her eyes, she sang along in her mind and inhaled deep.

 _This is my fight song, take back my life song; prove I'm alright song, my power's turned on!_

She opened her eyes partially and exhaled from her mouth. Her heart burst with a new energy, and she felt empowered and eager.

 _Starting right now I'll be strong. I'll play my fight song, and I don't really care if nobody else believes. 'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me!_

 _A lot of fight left in me…_

"Yeah." She rolled her shoulders back and cracked her neck from side to side. "One of the few pop songs I can get behind, and it's not even Shakira or X-tina."

Jason raised his head and his eyes connected with hers. In that instance his shoulders and muscles relaxed, and his annoyed frown turned into a smile. "You're late," he said while walking towards her. He took her by the hand and guided her out of the double doors and into a hallway that led to the restrooms and was out of view from the lady at the front desk.

Trina held onto his hands, swinging his arms with hers as she gazed up at him with a playful gleam in her eyes. "I don't know what to laugh at, your lion's mane or the fact that you're playing pop music in your studio."

Jason smirked back playfully and rolled his eyes. "I thought maybe you'd enjoy pop." His voice bore a teasing demeanor, which she caught easily.

"Sure. What contest did you lose?"

"No contest." He looked to his right, and Trina followed his gesture. Seeing that there was no one standing there, they returned their attention to one another. "Every so often I let my students pick the playlist for the day to listen to. Sometimes that person is the newest student in my class…"

"Which is?" A smug, but knowing grin spread across her face. She rose up on her toes and stole a quick kiss off his lips, then sank down. "Jade, right?" Jason deadpanned and closed his eyes.

"God that kiss would be so much more fulfilling without you mentioning Jade immediately afterwards."

"Aw, why is that?" She knew what bothered him, but enjoyed the game of teasing. Jason was protective and still judgmental of those that hurt her in the past; and that list included Jade. Regardless of her stature as a student, he did his best not to show his disapproval of her, but only when in her presence.

"You know why. I'm not proud of it, but still…"

"You know something else? Besides Pop, Jade's interested in stuff like horrorcore…" Jason's eyes bulged and he started to jerk away, but she pulled him back sensually and moved her arms around his waist. "It's fine, I doubt her current playlist would have it. She probably keeps those two genres separate."

"Maybe…but if she has horrorcore shit on this one, it'll be changing."

"I'm your 'newest student', right?"

"Of course." He kissed the top of her head and pulled his arms around her waist. "I thought you didn't want any special treatment, though?" She nodded and raised a finger.

"No special treatment. I don't want anyone thinking because I'm your girlfriend that I'm getting anything different." Jason's smile turned back to a smirk and his eyelids fell into slits.

"You mean like a before class kiss? Because trust me, no one else is getting that."

She laughed and pat his chest. "They better not be, because they _will_ have to answer to me." A deep chuckle fell from Jason's lips and he leaned forward, holding his mouth inches from hers.

"Heaven forbid. You're quite a force to reckon with, I'm sure." He kissed her lips with a passionate disregard for public display. Though they were still in private, and the lady at the front desk probably kept people from coming around the corner.

Trina gripped his strong upper arms and closed her eyes as she kissed him back. This likely would be the first and last time a kiss like this happened in the presence of his studio, especially since neither of them were exhibitionists and preferred keeping their relationship behind closed doors. For now, it was acceptable because Trina needed to concentrate on just about anything other than recent events.

As they puled apart, Trina looked up to the speaker on the wall that was belting out the music from Jade's playlist. "I don't like pop much anyway," she admitted, "But I do like _Fight Song_. Christina Aguilera has a great song too called _fighter._ "

"Yeah, I'll credit them with some good options, I guess. You know me, I'm more classic rock than anything. Although on occasion, I do have a best friend that insists I listen to country." Jason rolled his eyes and dropped his hand into Trina's. "Country's alright, I guess."

"Well hey, imagine having a sibling that only ever played pop music."

"Oh god, I can't imagine that insanity."

"Believe it. Not only did Tori sing it, in the shower or at concerts, it was constantly blasting from her radio." Jason started to cringe. Trina pulled away from him and flung her ponytail over her shoulder. "Anyway, what's with the lion's coat?" Jason's eyes dulled and the corners of his mouth sunk.

"Well. You know when I first opened this place, some of my regular students decided to give me a gift. I like lions, I like what lions symbolize and represent. They got me this. It's a fine gift, I like it a lot, but I prefer not to wear it often…I made the mistake of telling my students you decided to take my class starting today, and they continued to challenge and dare me to show off my coat." His eyes rose up and his voice fell into a whisper. "…As the 'king of the dojo'…They know something bad happened here the other night, and they knew I stopped it, so they thought I should wear it because I was being a protector or something. So embarrassing."

When she giggled, Jason's face turned red and he started to groan. "Aw don't be embarrassed, I think it's nice actually." She kissed his cheek and walked with him hand in hand. "You are a fearless protector."

"I wouldn't say fearless…God knows I was terrified that night. I couldn't bear losing you."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

They entered the classroom to find the students standing around and watching the door. Jade was standing closest, grinning from ear to ear. "Good to see you, Trina!" Jade moved towards her, looking into her eyes. "Ready for class?"

"Born ready." She stretched her arms out and smirked. "So um, what belt to I start with?" Jason raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"When was the last time you honed your skills again?"

"I was a purple belt six or seven years ago, Jason."

"Well, then you're probably going to have to start at beginner level again, or at least spar and see how much you've retained."

She puffed up and shrugged. "I still know plenty. I may not have taken any classes since high school, but that doesn't mean I haven't practiced." Jason hummed his response and poked a finger to his nearest purple belt student.

"Well, you could do an intro test with Jackson. Since you don't want any special treatment, however, I'd have to start you off with a beginner…likely a new beginner." Trina raised her eyebrows and shifted her eyes onto Jade. The dark haired girl grinned wider and perked up.

"Oh hey, I'd be happy to spar!" Trina squinted her eyes at Jade and tilted her head, growling in annoyance at the girl's eagerness and at the fact that she would have to start out sparring at the beginner level. "Only to see how much you remember, right?"

"Years ago. I took on Beck, Andre, and Robbie all at once…while ill and recovering from oral surgery. I kicked their asses." She glanced at Jason and huffed. "Why can't I test with a purple belt?"

"I ask that all my new beginners that say they know martial arts to take their very first spar with a current white belt. Only to see how much they know." Jason shrugged. "Then I test them on their formation, their posture, and what else they know…"

"I can't spar you, I suppose?"

"Uh…" He rubbed the back of his neck and started to sweat. "I'm a fifth degree black belt. I can't officially let you spar against me while in the classroom. I've trained with some of my students, but I don't test them against my own skill."

"Figures." She waved Jade over, grumbling under her breath. "Come on Jade, I'll spar you…" She still knew plenty of the moves she'd learned in the past, and with them the formations that she had to know in order to be upgraded to a purple belt. "I had to say no special treatment…"

"Well, you can spar anyone you want, but when testing I like to see a student spar against a partner until they've proven their belt mastery level."

"I got that."

"I could let you spar another white belt, if you'd rather not Jade."

"She volunteered." Trina cracked her knuckles and bounced her eyebrows. Jade flinched for a second as the realization dawned on her. The girl raised a hand and leaned sideways.

"On second thought," Jade began, "Maybe let her spar someone she's not inclined to beat up automatically? For a second, I forgot the bad blood in our history."

Trina flashed a smirk and closed her eyebrows together. "Thanks for the reminder, Jade." Jade paled and started to swallow as the fight song replayed on the playlist.

"Oh shit…"

Jason took a step back and watched as his students moved into a line along the side wall. "Just remember what you've learned so far," he advised to Jade. Trina moved into fighter stance and brought her clenched wrists to her sides.

Jade took a small step back and moved into fighter stance, holding her breath as a shadow fell across Trina's face. "You know, if she really does remember enough from her old training-"

"Going to enjoy this," Trina replied. Jade deadpanned and frowned.

"Yep. I'm dead."

Jason brought his hand to his brow, knowing the challenge had already been accepted by this point and neither party could back out now. He knew what was coming, and the stress relief that sparring Jade was going to bring. There was no stopping her now.

"Yeah," he said with a breathy tone, "I also advise the defense strategy, Miss West."

* * *

I think I'll leave that match to your imagination for now. Trina may have to start at beginner level, but she does still remember plenty. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, do tell what your thoughts are. That may include the "run, jade, run" that certainly Jason may want to say.


	30. Teachers

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 30 (Teachers)

"You're stopping the match, why are you stopping the match?" Tori growled as Jason stepped between her and Jade. They hardly had a chance to begin, although Jade appeared relieved. Jason breathed in and closed his eyes.

"I have a lesson to teach, but I wanted to see how far the two of you would actually go." Trina raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "I can't allow the two of you to enter free sparring just yet, I'm sorry. You're in testing, so first thing I need to see and understand is what you do know."

Her shoulders dropped and her eyes fell to the ground. "Okay, great." Her foot started to tap rhythmically and she raised her head. "Hold on, you're not about to use us as an example for a lesson." She recognized the tactic well, and judging by the bemused look on Jade's face, the girl saw it too.

"Sikowitz used to do that all the time," Jade remarked. Jason let out a soft chuckle and shrugged. "Though he'd usually pit someone together with the intention of seeing them fail, then teach on the subject. Teach why that person failed, what they did wrong, and how to correct it." Trina narrowed her eyes at him and slowly smirked as she pondered what she was going to do to him later.

"Well…" Jason moved forward, locking his wrists behind his back. "The two of you _do_ have a history. A negative one at that. So until you've learned the necessary self-control, I still can't simply allow the two of you to fight…" His gaze fixated onto Trina and softened. "Though I do trust you wouldn't actually try to harm the girl." Jade's eyebrows rose and Trina leaned back, scoffing as she shut her eyes.

"Yeah sure, you're right. Much as I'd like to, it won't solve things."

"Right." Jason raised his hand and twirled his finger at the class. "Line up!" The students began moving towards the center. Jason looked over his shoulder and motioned at the front. "Trina, Jade, come with me."

She didn't mind being the subject of a lecture, but she was going to have a little fun with this. So she smirked deviously at her boyfriend and followed him. "Making me the subject of a lecture. You know, if we were living together, you'd have couch duty right now."

Jason laughed. "Forgive me, love." He glanced back, flashing a toothy smile. "I'll hold you to that, and whenever we do end up living together, I'll give you a free couch night for this." Her face burned red and she snapped her fingers in defeat.

Jason turned towards his class and waited as Trina and Jade stood on either side of him. A student spoke up with laughter in their speech. "You do know 'couch duty' doesn't mean sex on the couch right?" Trina's eyes closed and her eyebrows rose with surprise.

Her boyfriend coughed out and pointed at the student, narrowing his eyes as a red tint overtook his cheeks. "Pushups. Fifty. Now." Trina stifled a snicker and opened her eyes to see the student shrug and crouch.

"Worth it."

Jason shook his head and paced to the right. "Anyway, first thing I want to point out. Usually when a challenge is issued, there's an exchange that must take place first if the two of you were to spar. There's a sign of respect you show your opponent, don't immediately I go into fight mode."

He took a step back and spread his hands out. "The two of you, please face each other." They did as instructed, and Trina followed Jade's lead as the girl lowered her arms and pressed her hands flat on her thighs. "Bow." Jade leaned forward, giving a bow of respect, and Trina followed suit.

She remembered the procedure, but was more astonished that she had forgotten it for a moment. "A match is about respect, acknowledging your opponent as your equal. One doesn't derive joy or desire in beating the other person. When you fight, you bow to show respect and thank them for the match."

"Got it."

"What you will learn in this class is patience, respect, control, and self-defense. This isn't a skill of power." Jason looked to Trina and pressed his lips together while wrinkling his brow. "In time you might have the misfortune of running into someone who lusts on power." She breathed in and held it for a moment as Jade bowed her head. "What you'll learn here, you'll be able to defend and protect yourself…" His voice grew soft and quiet, comforting her and lifting her up. "And I'll personally teach you if I can, so something like that will never again happen..."

She raised her head up and looked at him with a gentle smile. Jason turned fully towards the two and motioned back to the lines of students-of which there were four rows five. Jade and Trina made an even twenty.

"Jade, you can go back to the line up if you wish." Jade looked at Jason, then nodded respectfully.

"Yes sir."

Jason waited as Jade returned to the back of one of the lines holding only four people, then he and Trina faced one another. "What will you have me do?" Trina asked eagerly. She stood at attention, locking eyes with him. "We're not about to spar, are we?"

"No. Maybe after class." Her heart skipped and in that instant she could picture the match. "Right now, I want you to display for me what you may know. Also, if you could, fill the class in on what your style of teaching was." She nodded and faced the class.

"My name's Katrina Vega, though my everyone calls me Trina. I grew up practicing things like gymnastics, sports and taekwondo." She started to smile as the attentive students eyed her. "Growing up, my dad had me play baseball with the kids in the neighborhood and at school. It was a sport he liked-he also liked football, but there was no way he was letting me play that."

Some of the students laughed, causing her heart to rise up. It was nice to have this moment to break the ice and warm some of her soon-to-be fellow classmates up to her.

Looking at Jason, she saw a glimmer of pride in his eyes, and a loving smile that spread across his face. "I…really like football though." She turned her attention back to the class and shrugged. "Baseball got me into sports, gymnastics got me into being an athlete."

More than that, when she was younger, she always had a drive to do things that people said a girl shouldn't or couldn't do. She enjoyed proving people wrong, and enjoyed doing things just because she wasn't supposed to.

"Through Taekwondo, I reached the level of purple belt. Officially, I stopped taking classes for it when I was seventeen." She felt the pang of sorrow strike her, and bowing her head she glanced sideways at Jason. "I still like to meditate and practice from time to time, but I haven't had any official training since."

"You'll relearn some things," Jason replied, "But you'd be surprised at what you may have also retained. Don't be surprised if you are able to reach purple belt rather quickly, since you were already there."

"No special treatment."

"There is none. You reached that level once already, it would only be natural that you should rise to that level faster than someone that has never been there."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

"Plus, I still need to test you to see where to start you at. You may not be starting at the white belt level-you could be a yellow belt or higher, depending on what you can show." He blinked twice and tilted his head to the right. "It's more than likely you won't start at the white belt level, however."

She scrunched her face and jerked her head back. "Why is that?"

"This is a taekwondo school, in taekwondo, the white belt is said to be 'pure and without the knowledge'. As the student, a white belt has no direct knowledge of Taekwondo and starts with a pure and clean slate."

"Okay, could you explain it a bit?"

"Yes." He pulled his arms in front of his chest, folding them over. "I follow the World Taekwondo Federation of ranking order. Are you familiar with it?" She hooked her lower lip with her finger and tried to think back to what she'd been taught in the past.

David valued that form of taekwondo as it was the most common and popular form, so that the kind of martial arts school he wanted to put her in. "Yeah, that's the style I was in. I was involved with the Tiger Claw Martial Arts Academy when I was a kid."

"Ah, I know them. I partnered with them for a little bit when I started out." He smiled and nodded. "That makes it a little easier." She perked up and started to bounce on her toes.

Jason raised a hand to his chin. "There's twelve ranks, with the last being 1st Dan, which is the first degree black belt. The first rank is the white belt, where you start out with new or no real taste of taekwondo. It's the symbol of the start of your journey."

"Great."

"Yellow is next." She hummed, paying close attention to this one as it was the belt he said she may have to start with. "It's the second rank, and part of the yellow division in tournaments. You have to get through two gradings to obtain it, the first gives you a yellow stripe, and the second you earn the belt."

"Gradings? Those are the tests?"

"Yes. You will often be given two in order to full obtain the next level. As such, I award the orange, then the green belt. Blue comes next, then the fifth rank is purple." She raised her eyebrows and began anxiously tapping her foot on the ground. "Sixth is brown, seventh is the high brown belt-which is a brown belt and black tips. You get stronger and you move into the red belt, which is classified as danger-where you've become extremely skilled but maybe have more to learn about self-control."

"Okay."

"The tenth rank you earn the black tip, which goes on the red belt, eleventh is a double black tip, and finally you have your First Dan. The black belt."

"So that's the belt, what's grading all about?"

"We call it Kup grade, which is essentially the colored belt." Jason walked over to a poster on the wall and pointed. It explained how each belt level was a Kup, and a white belt was considered a '10th kup student' while student one grade away from black was a 1st kup. Then it turned into Dan grades, in which the first black belt was 1st Dan, all the way up to 9th Dan.

Jason was somewhere in the middle of the Dan grades.

"This is the exam that tells me whether or not you're ready for the next belt. You're assessed on all the basics first. I'll test you on the patterns, often called 'poomse', your sparring, self-defense, breaking, fitness, etiquette and spirit."

While it sounded like a lot, she was confident that she could do it. "How long does it take? Do you know?" Jason furrowed his brow and shook his head.

"No." She leaned back slowly and he walked around her, back to the front. "No two people are exactly alike. Remember it's all about pacing. It's how hard you train, how you go about your journey. Some train less, therefore grade slower, others train faster and grade faster. It also depends on the club." He put his hand to his chest. "I try and teach a broad range of skill and technique, and put in as much training in my students as I can. I don't dictate how often they train outside, however."

"So…what's the usual you've seen?"

"Some students manage to grade each month. It's possible if you have natural fitness and skill, then train hard enough, you can get your body in shape of the black belt in two to three years, though mentally perhaps not."

"So it's not so much that as it is about the self?"

"Taekwondo is all about self-improvement. All about each person's own individual journey. You decide your path. As a sensei, I can only guide." She thought for a moment, considering how often she would have to train.

It was doable, and she felt confident that she could go through the grading rather well. If anything, she could reach her purple belt quickly, but she understood it would take time. Time, and hard work, both of which she was eager to put in.

"I'm eager to learn, Jason." She smiled and started to bow. "Teach me what you know."

Meanwhile, Tori followed Ian through the halls of the local community college. Her chest swelled from the nervous beating of her heart, and her hands were sticky and wet. "Just this way," Ian said while guiding her around the corner.

They entered a classroom filled with students, and the professor's familiar voice filled her with a strange kind of euphoria. "I'll be testing you on the various plant and animal species tomorrow," Mr. Pete Luyster said, "I want all of you to study up on chapter ten of your textbook tonight and come prepared for your test."

Tori eyeballed her old favorite professor, smiling brightly. His short brown hair had become a salt and pepper color over the years, and he still appeared tall despite being of an average height. He was thin and still looked to be in top shape.

"Ah my aide showed up-Ian, you're late." The man turned his head, and his stubble covered jaw dropped open the moment his eyes fell into hers. "Well I'll be damned…" Pete walked towards the two, waving his hand in a distracted motion to his class. "Read your books." His voice trailed off. "Miss Vega? It's been too long."

Tori locked her hands together in front of her waist and bowed her head. "It really has been. Um…I-"

"Tori needs a job," Ian blurted. Tori's eyes grew wide and she blushed as her former teacher chuckled. "She wants to learn also, and I thought maybe you could take her under your wing again?" Pete's eyes lit up and he nodded.

"I'd be happy to." He put his hand to her back and motioned out the door. "Here, let's step outside a moment." She held her breath and followed him out with Ian. "Did Ian tell you about our class field trips?"

"Yeah, they sound like fun."

"They are extremely wonderful." His voice flooded with excitement and he started to laugh. "It's a great opportunity to learn, to earn credit for classes, and to see the world." He raised his hand to his chin and proceeded to hum. "Ian told you about my work, I presume? As a scientist. Primarily horticulture, but still…"

"He did." She moved her hands behind her back and swayed to the right. "He might have mentioned you're hiring assistants. He said he wanted to talk to you about that, I don't want to put you out or anything, so don't think-"

"I'd love to have you on my team!" Pete extended his hands, patting Ian and Tori on the arms and laughing. "My favorite pair, together again, who would have thought? I'm beyond thrilled."

"Thanks…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I'm thinking of enrolling here. I kind of have an idea what I want to do, and I was thinking about advisors. Are you an advisor?"

"I am indeed. I can get you started on a degree plan if you'd like, but you'd have to register and enroll first."

Tori beamed and started nodding, she was more than willing to get started on some form of education. "It's been too long, I'd be happy to get started." She was tired of singing in smoke filled bars, destroying her already terrible lungs. He wanted to live again, to experience life and get back to her true passion. Nature and animals.

What better way to start than to get help from her favorite instructor? "I'm looking forward to learning from you again, and working with you." Without thinking, she hugged him. Memories of her days at Sherwood filled her mind, easing her nervousness and any uncertainty she may have.

When she pulled away, she turned to Ian, grinning from ear to ear. "Ian." He raised his eyebrows and pushed his hands into his pockets. "I could just kiss you."

Ian chuckled and shrugged. "If you want to, I mean I wouldn't complain." Overcome with joy, she grabbed his shirt and yanked him forward, kissing him full on the lips.

Her heart skipped and mentally the surprise didn't register right away about what she had just done. Her muscles relaxed and her body leaned into him as her grip on his shirt started to loosen. Her palms flattened onto his shoulders and she closed her eyes, deepening her kiss as her heart exploded into fireworks.

Ian hesitated for a moment before pulling his arms around her waist and kissing her back.

Pulling away, she felt a hot spark lingering on her lips. "Whoa." She blinked twice, gazing into Ian's surprised and dazed expression.

"Whoa," he replied in a soft tone. The realization struck her finally and she moved back a step, holding her fingers over her mouth.

"I uh, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." A lump formed in her throat and she started to fear the worst, choking up as she tried to speak. "I-" Ian smiled gently and tilted his head.

"Nothing to apologize for. I liked it." She blushed and turned her head as Mr. Luyster started to laugh.

"Not surprising in the slightest," He remarked. "I need to get back to my class, but Tori, let me give you my office number real fast. I look forward to hearing from you." She breathed in and closed her eyes.

"Same."

* * *

Ah the poor student doing the pushups, lucked out I think, hah. So what are your thoughts here?


	31. The Saga Continues

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 31 (Saga Continues)

Over time, things got better for her. Her relationship with her father improved, and even Tori was trying to be better-difficult as it was. The trial of Beck Oliver was hardest on her, but she had the loving support of her boyfriend and the support of her father and mother; who were also starting to communicate again.

Beck had been sentenced, found guilty of multiple atrocities. As it turned out, he was indeed the serial killer that she had spotted in the papers so long ago. The State of California sentenced him to life without parole, however he had two assaults in another state which he also had to face trial for. That state would sentence him to death, and requested California move him to one of their maximum security prisons.

Linda was still in a coma, but the police would be waiting for her as well. With Holly's investigation, and the help of both David and Gary, the police were able to put together enough evidence to charge her with sexual assault of a minor. A serial rapist. Should she wake, she would immediately be placed under arrest. Several people had agreed to testify if a trial came about, including David; and Trina was sure to be there for emotional support.

This wasn't the end of a long road, however. Trina returned to work with Subway, but nothing would be the same for her. Her first day back had been a struggle, and it seemed like Mr. Shay wasn't as sympathetic as Mandy.

Her potential job with Lieutenant Rand fell through and he hadn't come back to Subway but once or twice since her return. She wound up getting a call from Outback Steakhouse not two months after having applied-of course she applied there at the same time as Subway-and accepted it as a second job to earn more income.

There were three managers at Outback. A heavyset Mexican guy with short black hair and a round face that oddly reminded her of a mouse. His name was Brady, and he was in charge of scheduling. The newest manager, who was also the youngest was a tall and thin man from Kenya named Nathanial. He was fairly cool and fun, but he could be tough if he had to be.

The owner, proprietor, and head manager was an average sized dark skinned man with a quick wit and friendly personality. He tried to make employees feel valued, and one of his key statements was "I appreciate you". He was always around, checking on the structure and also the customers.

Trina had been hired on as a lunch host, which conflicted a bit with Sandra, who wanted her in the mornings as well. Brady wasn't too happy when she made the call that she needed to be with Sandra on Mondays and Tuesdays at least.

While he did manage to structure, it was a sign of trouble on the horizon as now both jobs had a major scheduling conflict emerging. Sandra was giving her extremely low hours, which Trina blamed on Outback at first. Then, because of Outback's hours, and Sandra's scheduling, she wasn't able to help other stores any longer.

Then came the swift reminder that unsettled her heart, a reminder of a goal she'd forgotten about with everything going on. On the same day police officers came to sit down at Outback, she took a look at the roster of employees scheduled that day. One of whom was takeaway, named Natalie Moran, and her mind drifted to the Dean of her university's criminal justice program-Nate Moran.

It reminded her of her passion, reminded her how engrossed she'd become in her job.

"Trina?" Jack, the owner, was standing in front of the small host stand and looking at her with dark raised eyebrows. His shaven head seemed to blot out the sun piercing through the window. She raised her eyes from the roster and flashed a smile.

"Yes?" Jack's black, stubbly goatee seemed to rise as he smiled at her.

"You're doing a good job. Seating the customers, telling them who the server and the manager on duty are." He pat the stand and smiled back at her. "I like that. Keep up the good work."

"I will. Thank you." She watched him continue on a path towards the door and turned her head, looking out at the servers running about. It was an open area with three sections separated by half-walls. The far end had three round tables and long tables that seemed to frame the area. There were also half tables-with a booth on one side and chairs on another-in that same area as well as the back.

Directly behind her was the lounge and the bar, where the bartender was hard at work. Servers filed out from the back, running along the tables as quickly as they could.

There were a lot of interesting characters here, and she enjoyed it. Still, she was conflicted. She loved it here, she loved it at Subway, and yet she knew in her heart that she still needed to pursue her career field job, but so far that just wasn't panning out. The downside was, she wasn't getting the hours to make ends meet, nor the income.

Being a host at Outback had a lot of work involved in it, more so than simply greeting customers at the door. She would often help the servers bus the tables, wiping them down every so often. In the mornings when she opened, it was important to take the chairs down from the tables and set everything up.

She felt an incredible amount of value and worth working here, though her worth at Subway seemed to be sliding lately. She still felt Subway was her home and didn't want to give up on that job, but strange things were afoot.

Trina caught a glimpse of someone walking by the windows in front of her and put on a broad smile while hurrying to catch the door. She adjusted her white shirt a bit, ran her hands through her long hair and tucked the shirt a bit farther into her black khaki pants.

When she opened the door, she started her standard greeting. "Hey! How's it going?" Her eyes flew to the doors and she gasped upon seeing Jason making his way in. Jason flashed a smirk and raised his eyebrows. "Jason? You know I'm just a host right?"

"Yeah, but I'm hungry." Trina looked over her shoulders, her grin widening. "Wanted to see how you were enjoying it here." She moved forward, taking him by the hand and pulling him outside. "Whoa!"

Trina pushed him up against the wall, out of view of the door's large windows, and kissed him passionately. Her arms slid around his neck and she felt his strong hands grasp her waist as he kissed her back with greater power. She asserted herself, adding more force to the kiss and raising her hands to his face.

As she pulled away, she nipped his lower lip with her teeth. Jason exhaled slowly and looked into her eyes, whispering softly. "You don't greet all your customers like that, I hope?" She laughed once and shook her head.

"No." She moved her forehead to his, touching her nose to the tip of his nose. "I just feel like it's been forever since I saw you last."

"We saw each other last week, didn't we?"

"Yeah."

Jason chuckled. "I love you." He kissed her lips tenderly and moved the back of his head against the brick wall. Trina could almost feel the rumbling of his stomach and smirked as he stared down. "And I'm hungry."

"I can't give you a discount, but I do recommend a large sirloin."

"Ah yeah." It was a fifty percent comp for employees, but in order for relatives or friends to receive that comp, the employee had to be dining with them. "Sarah's next on the roster." She tilted her head and wagged her eyebrows. "She's attractive as hell, though. Maybe I should give you to Derek in the bar, but he's rude."

"I'll take whatever server you think is the best, love." Trina's heart pounded like a machine gun as he kissed her once more, leaving her breathless. "So who might that be?" He raised an eyebrow and she sighed.

"Sarah. She's the best server we got right now."

"Don't worry, I've only got eyes for you."

"I don't know." She trailed off with a tease in her tone and pat Jason's chest playfully. "She's so cute. There's like no one else cuter."

"There's you." Jason reached up, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Can I have my food now?"

She laughed and pulled away from him, holding her hand in his. "I guess." She guided him inside and into the middle section, also known as the 30s. He was sat at table 33, which was the front end of the section.

Upon returning to the stand, she saw Sarah standing there with a laughing grin on her face, shaking her head. Her long ponytail swept across her back and shoulders. "So that's your boyfriend, huh Trina?" Sarah buttoned the topmost of the buttons. "Should I button up to cover up cleavage for you?"

Trina laughed. "Hah, hah, very funny. I'm not that insecure, just teasing." She knew Jason wouldn't stray from her anyway, but she did like to joke simply because she knew how attractive he was to people.

Sarah took a receipt booklet and started for the newly sat table and Trina couldn't help but to watch as the girl's ponytail bounced and swayed with each step. She watched with a smile as Sarah took Jason's drink order, then returned to the host stand. "So." Sarah tapped her lip with her pen and smirked. "Your little lover-boy over there would like a glass of water and a Stella Artois…Care to grab the water for him?" Trina perked up and Sarah laughed again. "If you're not doing anything, that is."

"Okay. You're grabbing the beer?"

"Yep." Sarah was a veteran employee, as Trina called it. There were a couple of those, they were simply employees that had been around forever just about and knew the ropes so well that they could handle almost any task laid out before them. As for Sarah, she'd been around before this particular store location started opening for lunch, making her one of the first employees.

Trina made her way into the back of the house where all the cooking and dishwashing took place. She grabbed a glass, filled it to the top with ice, then made her way out to the table. "Here you go." She placed the glass down and locked her hands together before her waist. Jason looked up at her and she raised her shoulders up and bit the corner of her lip. "Everything okay so far?"

He smiled back and nodded gently. "Oh yeah." He looked at the space beside him in the booth and raised his eyebrows up. "I'm going to be here a while, so if you want to join me when you get off."

"I would, but I have only an hour to get to Subway." She frowned and Jason nodded. "But we can maybe go out to eat afterwards. Or just cuddle somewhere."

"I'd like that."

"You'd like it even more if it went the way it always does, wouldn't ya?" She smirked and wagged her eyebrows, watching as Jason's face turned a shade of red. Sarah stepped behind them with a glass of Stella Artois in her hand, then looked from Trina to Jason and back.

"Really?" Sarah rolled her eyes and smiled. "You're going to flirt with each other right now, aren't you?"

"Can't help it." Trina shrugged. "What can I say? I love my man." Trina leaned over, sliding her arm down his. "And I'll have something for you after work tonight." Sarah set the glass down in front of Jason.

"Maybe you guys should save the alcohol for later?" Jason pulled Trina into his lap and held her waist while looking fiercely into her eyes. She dropped her hands to his shoulders and held her smirk. He raised his right eyebrow, causing a pulse of heat to sweep through her. "If you two lovebirds need it, that is."

"You're at work," Jason reminded her with a whisper, "No time for playtime." There weren't any other customers in the place, since it was usually dead this late in the afternoon. "We can have fun _later_."

"Oh alright." She hugged him tight, pressing herself close enough to feel his heart beating against hers.

Later at Subway, adjusting her uniform as she entered the restaurant. She was ready for her closing shift. Though some amount of time had passed, she still felt remarkably uncomfortable closing. "Not like Mr. Shay cares…"

Shay was cheap and didn't believe in putting more than one closer on at a time, which was a huge security risk, but he didn't want to foot the money. It was strange, considering she was walking proof of how great a security risk it was to close.

The frightful jitters had remained, and along with that stress came the stress of juggling two jobs with both keeping the other from being able to schedule well. "Hey Trina," Sandra stated when she entered through the back. Trina looked at the woman with a faint smile and waved.

"Hey Miss Sandra, how are things?"

"Not great." She furrowed her brow and looked to a sheet of paper on the steel table top. "Shay wants you to be given a warning." Her heart stopped and she hurried over.

"Wait? For what?"

"Because he say a customer say you was mean." Trina's brow wrinkled and she did a double take. "Remember the other day, you was making a salad. The customer complained to Shay that you looked angry."

She knew the incident Sandra was talking about, but she couldn't believe it. It was bullshit. She was tired, had suffered a nightmarish flashback just moments before and was trying to focus as hard as she could on the salad without crying.

Her face had been tense, yes, and her eyes were full of a determined focus as she used the cutter to slice through the veggies and meat. Her breathing had been heavy as well. "I wasn't angry, Sandra."

"I know." Sandra put her hand to her chest. "I know that, but Shay doesn't." She wanted to ask why Sandra wouldn't bother to have her back, unless she were just afraid to lose her job or something. Hell, even when she first returned, Sandra put her as a closer when she didn't want to be, saying that Shay needed a closer while Norma, Nancy and Sandra had 'other priorities' and couldn't close.

"Fine." She put her hands to her hips, and closed her eyes as Sandra asked her to sign that she'd been informed and understood. There were three strikes of course. Trina was more content with just letting it happen rather than complaining and making matters worse.

She wasn't valued one bit anymore is what it felt like. Trina rolled her eyes and started to sign on the line.

* * *

So it continues. What are your thougths?


	32. Subway: The Thrill is Gone

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 32 (Subway: The Thrill is Gone)

The lightning lit up the windows, creating a ferocious glare on the water splashing onto them. Trina was frozen, hypnotized by the pouring rain outside and paralyzed with an incredible sense of fear and grief. It had been a long while since she worked a stormy closing shift, because Sandra usually tried to give her night shift to someone else if it was said to be storming outside.

Her heart raced as she tapped her fingernails on the white prep boards, her eyes flickered from window to window as she kept expecting Beck to emerge. "He's not here." She clenched her eyes shut and flinched as thunder boomed from above and echoed into her ears.

 _"You scream, you're dead!"_ The memory flashed before her. Trina's muscles tensed as she saw herself thrown against the dumpster. A tightness came over her chest and she tried gasping for air.

In the months that passed, she would always be with Jason on these nights, cuddling up with him under a blanket. He would often talk to her, giving her comfort and a distraction.

Trina could still smell the grease and the rough touch of Beck's hand over her face. Her legs throbbed as a cool sensation, like that of his knife, slid across her thigh. "Oh god." She put her hand to her throat, sliding it down partially to her chest. "Please no. No customers." Her voice trembled as she saw a pair of headlights shining into the windows. "No."

She steadied herself, taking long and deep breaths. With every exhale, she calmed herself just for a bit. It did enough to allow her to focus. With her trembling fingers, she opened the bread door and grabbed one of the bread liners from the top.

The front door swung open and water splashed out onto the floor. "God it's a nasty out there." Jason's voice filled her with a sense of relief and she gasped aloud, turning her head to see him in an overcoat and shaking off an umbrella. He had a briefcase in his other hand, likely containing papers to grade.

"Jason!" She moved to the line and flashed a smile as he looked up at her.

"Hey, just thought I'd come work on some of my paperwork here, if that's alright." Tears filled her eyes and she nodded gently.

"Y-Yeah of course. I mean, do you want a sandwich?" She put her hand to her neck and cleared her throat. Jason raised an eyebrow and set his briefcase down at one of the center four tables. "Anything to get my mind off this storm."

"Sure." He looked at the menu and smiled. "Same as always."

"BMT footlong, double meat?"

"Yeah." Jason walked around the corner and Trina beamed as she saw him punch in the code on the door and enter. She hurried around into the back and met up with him in front of the path to the freezer. She threw her arms around him and pressed her body close against his to try and feel the warmth of his body.

He pulled his arms around her waist and gently kissed her forehead. "I can't believe they scheduled you tonight. Hasn't Sandra been checking the weather just to avoid giving you nights like these?"

"It isn't her fault."

"You're giving her far too much credit, babe."

"I know." She bowed her head and placed the tip of her forehead against his chest. "But it's not. Mr. Shay told her to quit canceling my night shifts just because 'of a little weather'."

"Excuse me?"

"He thinks five months is enough time that I should have gotten over it by now."

"Again. _Excuse me?"_ She could see he was getting angry, though trying to stay reserved. Jason had never cared much for Mr. Shay after the first night, trying to fire Sandra for something completely out of her control. He turned his head and looked at the warning sheet from earlier, then furrowed his brow. "What's that?" Trina shrugged.

"Some customer thought I was being mean and complained, so Mr. Shay wanted to have me written up with a warning."

"What happened?" He pulled back and walked over, picking up the page. "Where you being mean?"

"No…Something triggered a flashback." She rubbed her arm and closed her eyes. "There was a customer leaving, and from behind he looked like Beck." Jason lowered his shoulders and shook his head.

"Maybe it's time you left Subway? I mean, you seem to like working at Outback."

"I can't leave Subway. I need the money."

"It's not worth it if they treat you like this, Trina." He set the paper down and narrowed his eyes. "You only make eight dollars an hour, and Sandra's been giving you seven, eight, ten hours tops! You deserve better."

"She says it's too difficult to schedule around Outback."

"That's a copout, she can control shift times if she wants to. You work twelve to three on some days, then five to nine on others. She could give you fuller shifts than three to four hours a day." He sighed as Trina moved closer to him. Her arms hugged her stomach and her body was still trembling from the storm. "I miss seeing you too. Between Outback and Subway, I only get to see you when you come in to class."

"I want to see you more often too. I just don't know how to get this whole thing to work."

"Don't stress about it." He held her tight. His strong, warm hold seemed to help her anxious trembling to subside. She looked down at her subway shirt, then to the apron sitting on the steel table. Ever since Beck's attack, she hadn't been able to wear it. Even though she was required to for her job, it caused her too much grief.

She felt her lover's exhale wash over her cheeks and through her hair. "I can feel your heart racing. Call Sandra, tell her you can't continue tonight. This is too much."

"No, it's fine. I'll be okay. Besides, I don't want to make someone else come in just so I can leave." She kissed his lips tenderly and started to smile. "Besides, you're here, I can relax."

"Okay, but I still think you deserve better than this." He was right to be concerned. Lately she'd been unhappy with Subway, but hadn't wanted to let it show. She'd do her best at cleaning, but her best wouldn't be enough and the very next day she'd be told she'd done a terrible job cleaning. "You told me you hadn't been feeling very appreciated here anymore."

"I haven't, but you know…it's something. I don't want to leave Subway before I have something else, anyway."

"And you shouldn't." Jason pat her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "But you deserve to be happy, to feel like your efforts are valued and appreciated."

"I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. They were the first people to make me feel like I belonged." It was funny, because Jack, at Outback, would tell all new employees about how important it was to feel like they belonged; if they felt like they didn't belong, they needed to speak up so he could try and resolve the problem. "I'm beginning to feel more worth at Outback, but…"

"But what?"

"Well…" She looked to the side and pursed her lips. It was rough to think she couldn't help Subway anymore. There was a change that occurred when she accepted Outback as a second job, and she was calculating that through tips, she'd be making more money. "I don't know."

The bell chimed and Trina jerked up with a gasp. "Customer!" Jason smiled gently and massaged her shoulders just a bit.

"Go get them, Trina. I'll be right in the lobby, okay?"

She closed her eyebrows, raising them up in the center and curling her lips in a tiny smile. "I love you so much, Jason."

"I love you."

Trina made her way out to the line, ready for whatever came her way. "Hi, welcome to Subway." She smiled and looked to the right, watching Jason make his way to his table. When she looked back, she saw a tall man in a white sleeveless t-shirt tucked into jeans. He had a dark ponytail and bushy eyes.

She flinched for a moment and cleared her throat as the man leaned towards the bread display. His tanned arms were lightly toned and his hands were embedded into his pockets. "I'll have a foot-long club, please." The man looked at her, his eyes connecting and filling her with a sense of dread that she had to force down.

"What bread would you like, sir?" She looked past him, smiling at Jason who was watching like a hawk. His hands were clasped together with his knuckles touching the tip of his chin.

"I'll have wheat, if you have it." The man took a step to the right and looked down at the cheeses. "American cheese, please, and I'll have it toasted."

"Okay." She hurried through the process and put the food in the toaster. Her fingernails tapped the handle gently and her eyes narrowed at the veggies. She wanted to get this process done as quickly as possible. "Oh!" Her eyes opened and she motioned to Jason. "You wanted that BMT."

Jason nodded and then walked up to the line. He sidled up a foot away from the customer and looked at the meat and cheeses.

The bell chimed again and Trina glanced up to see Cat and Jade entering. Their friendship had grown an incredible deal over the last few months and Trina had begun to see a transformation in the once crude woman. Even she began to like Jade and be on a friendlier level with the woman.

"God that rain just won't quit," Cat stated loudly. The redhead wrung out the bottom of her hair and groaned. Jade looked at the back of the customer and raised her eyebrows as the man started to turn.

"Whoa, who are you?" Jade asked. "You reminded me of someone…" The customer raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

"Sorry?"

"Don't worry about it." Jade and Cat hurried to the bread display and bounced on her heels. "Hey Trina! You want to hang with us later? Cat and I are checking out this new park that opened up."

Cat nudged Jade and motioned to Jason, who was smirking with a slick confidence. "I don't think so, Jade." Jade sighed with defeat and Trina frowned.

"Sorry Jade, I'm going out with Jason after work." Trina took the sandwich out and finished the customer's order. It was a breeze with Jason and the girls there. When the trio went to their tables, nothing bothered Trina. The lightning and thunder seemed to fade away and the rain dissipated almost entirely to her.

She did the best she could with all the procedures, remembered to clean out the soda fountain and the restrooms. She swept and mopped, and followed the list entirely.

The next morning, however, she received a disappointing text from Sandra. "Nancy opened, she said the store was terrible!" Trina replied back that she couldn't believe it, and wanted to know what she had done wrong. "I just want you to follow the list, Trina."

Unable to accept Sandra's text, she drove down to the store, asking to know what she'd done wrong. Sandra met with her in the back and nodded. "Oh, well, the bathroom wasn't cleaned."

"I cleaned the toilets, swept and mopped."

"The window was still dirty." She snapped her fingers and sighed, understanding that she'd forgotten to spray the windows down. "The cookie tongs had some buildup on them."

"Okay." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground. These were small, minor complaints so far. They hardly suggested 'terrible'. She had been with Jason all night, and had to wake him up to tell him she needed to come down here and find out what was going on. Insofar, the ordeal wasn't worth it.

She could still be cuddling in bed with her boyfriend, rather than thinking all hell broke loose in the store since she'd been away. "Is there anything else?" Sandra bit the corner of her lip and shook her head slowly. "Okay. So, I got everything else done last night? Despite closing on a night that was-" Feeling herself getting angrier and emotional, she stopped herself and raised her hands up. "I can't work today, Miss Sandra."

"Oh…"

"Yeah." It was still early in the morning and she was to come in several hours down the line. "I need the day off after last night, I'm sorry. I need to be with my boyfriend."

"It okay, I understand." Sandra smiled and nodded gently. "You take it easy today, it will be okay." She wanted to ask why Sandra never praised her anymore, but she never praised anybody.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but she felt like it wouldn't be long before she was done with Subway.

* * *

What are your thoughts here? Months down the line, of course the tragedy still affects her since that isn't something that stops affecting people for sometimes the rest of their life. At least it's better with people that care around. Though Subway. It does seem Shay doesn't think much of her anymore. She's certianly not a valued employee anymore it seems.


	33. Change of Scenery

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 33 (Change of Scenery)

In search of a place to spend her free time away from the stress of her jobs and her thoughts, Trina found a bar just around the corner from Subway. She didn't like the fact that it was a smoking bar, because smoke affected her terribly as though she were allergic to it; but the bartender she spoke with on the phone said she should give them a chance and the smoke shouldn't be a problem due to high ceilings.

Wearing a black denim jacket covering a white tee that was tucked into blue denim jeans, Trina gingerly walked into the bar. It was a local establishment called Palmer's Pub.

Her eyes drifted towards the ceiling and a smirk formed across her face as she studied the rafters about twenty feet above her. "Nice." She glanced around the bar and shrugged and examined the area before moving forward.

From the front door to the bathrooms straight across from her was a grey carpet filled with a number of long pool tables and a few round granite tabletops with black steel chairs. The room itself was rectangular and large; the walls were grey. To her right was a stage with a wheel-covered in a black sheet-and a microphone.

The prospect of karaoke made her heart skip just as much as seeing the pool tables. She pushed her hands further into her jacket's pockets and let her thoughts drift to Jason. "I need to get him to come shoot pool with me, but I doubt he'd go for it…"

She approached the granite top bar, which was as long as the wall behind it. Towards the end of the bar, she noticed another short bar on the other side, revealing a red-carpeted area with nicer looking pool tables.

Trina took her seat at the edge of the bar closest to the front door and eyeballed the patrons seated along the row. "Kind of a nice place…" Trina pulled her phone out and immediately sent a text out to Jason to let him know where she was. Since he was still at work, he couldn't be with her, but he still worried about her and she didn't feel comfortable not letting him know she was okay.

At the opposite end of the bar was a patron who resembled Beck just a bit. He had the same skin tone and the same dark hair pulled into a ponytail, and he was wearing a leather jacket. She turned her gaze away, focusing on the bartender and trying her best to shrug away the flashback; the patron wasn't bothering her and she needn't worry about it.

One of the two bartenders on that night looked at her with a thin smile, her eyes were narrow and sharp, creating an almost snake-like face. She had on a sleeveless black tank top, revealing tattooed arms: One arm had a pony. She had dark brown hair with purple dyed bangs framing her face. "Hey there," the girl said while walking over to her, "Got an ID?"

"Right here," Trina handed her ID over and waited as the woman checked it. With a nod, the woman handed it back and set a square coaster down.

"I'm Malina, what will you be having?"

"What do you have?" She was partial towards amber beers, but also liked brown ale, porters and stouts. Malina turned sideways, folding her forearm on the bar top and gazing down the length of the bar.

"What are you into?"

Trina shrugged. "Ambers and browns?"

"We have lawnmower in bottles."

"Oh! I've never tried that." She smiled gently and Malina quickly nodded before heading over to the fridge. Trina looked ahead of herself, spying a small open window with a board moving between the bar and a kitchen. She furrowed her brow and pointed to it as Malina returned. "What's over there? You have food?"

"Bar-wise no, but we're connected to Nightlong Pizza. Same owner." Malina pushed a menu towards her. "You can order here or over there."

"I'll have to take a look. My boyfriend might come over after work, I don't know, but he might like some pizza…"

"Cool. Are you starting a tab, by the way?"

"Oh, yes." She removed her card and handed it over to Malina, watching as the bartender moved to the computer across from the bar. Malina swiped the card and set it in a cup, then was called over by another patron.

Trina relaxed in the bar chair and looked at the draft options along the side wall with intrigue. There, to her amazement, was an amber beer on draft-something she had not yet seen in other bars. "Ziga beer, huh? I'll have to try it."

She raised the bottle of the Saint Arnold's beer to her lips and closed her eyes as she took a sip. The taste was wonderfully sweet and satisfying to her tongue. Setting the beer down, she saw the other bartender making her way over.

This bartender was young with wavy blonde hair and a sweet, round face. She had bright blue eyes and a friendly smile. "Hi there! I'm Taylor!" Trina was caught off guard, but not resistant to the girl's friendly demeanor. "What's bringing you here?"

"Not much. I was just looking for a bar near my workplace that would actually be _decent_." She'd gone to one other, but it was a disgusting place with rude ass waiters. Taylor swept her hand through her hair and leaned forward, still grinning with a gleam in her eyes. "Didn't think I'd come here because of the smoke."

"Well, glad that you gave it a chance. What do you think so far?"

"It's nice. Quaint." She had to admit, there was a friendly feeling to the place. Not to mention, she wasn't having a huge issue with the smoke. Though, the patrons that were smoking were on the other end of the bar at the moment.

"Where do you work?"

"Subway and Outback." A look of understanding flashed in Taylor's eyes.

"I used to work at Outback as a host. Did you know you could get an industry discount?" She raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "You just need to ask. You work industry, and some places will give you that discount. As for Subway…my brother used to work at a Subway."

"Yeah." Trina rolled her eyes and took another sip of her beer. "Tell me about it." Taylor's eyebrows furrowed and her smile started to fade.

"Not so thrilled, huh?"

"Nope."

Over time, Trina began to frequent the bar; she enjoyed the social scene of the place and found it to be a nice place to wait for Jason to finish his job. Taylor's friendliness was great, and she also enjoyed chatting with Malina.

The other two bartenders she met that worked there were great as well. One was a blonde in her thirties with straight hair that went down to the center of her back, she had an olive shaped face. Her name was Megan. The other one had light brown hair, usually either in a long ponytail or up in a small bun-this bartender was named Kelly.

The bar had karaoke on two nights of the week: Thursday and Saturday. Thursday night was led by the female DJ, Becky while Saturday was led by the male DJ, Jackson.

One Saturday, Jason joined Trina at the bar for a night of karaoke; he didn't care so much to sing or to drink and was only there because she was. Taylor and Megan were working the bar. "I thought you said you couldn't sing?" Taylor joked as Trina returned to the bar from the karaoke stage.

She'd just finished singing _At Last_. "I can't sing today's pop music at all." Trina sat beside Jason and folded her arms over on the bar. "Besides, I'm not that much of a fan of today's pop stars. Ari Grand, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga…You know, too much focus on being sluts and dancing around half nude." She shrugged and Taylor slowly nodded.

"Think your boyfriend would complain?"

Trina smirked and eyeballed Jason as he coughed and raised a hand. "Let's not go there," he answered in quick succession. "None of those pop stars are even remotely as attractive as my girlfriend." He flashed a grin from ear to ear and Trina chuckled.

Taylor pat the bar and laughed. "Smart man you have there, Trina."

"I'd like to think so." She stretched her back and flung her hair over her shoulder, grinning with pride at Jason. "Hot as ever, strong as an ox, and one hundred percent _mine_." He draped an arm around her shoulders and leaned over, kissing her temple.

Taylor clasped her hands together and looked over her shoulder at the window where the people from the pizza place were pushing food across to the bar. "So have you found a new job yet, or are you still at Subway?" She frowned and dropped her shoulders.

"Still at Subway, unfortunately."

"You know, I could talk to Derek if you want…" Trina raised an eyebrow and Taylor leaned back. "We need some people with common sense over there, maybe I could talk them into giving you some consideration?"

"You can do that?"

"Sure. I mean, I'm Micah's daughter." Taylor rolled her head to the right and raised her shoulders. "Step-daughter, but same difference."

"Micah?"

"He's the owner." Trina's jaw fell open and she nearly dropped the beer in her hand. "You work in the industry, you're a regular customer here now, so it's worth a mention if you want." Taylor pointed towards a tall, skinny man in a button up shirt. He had a clean-shaven face and short greyish-brown hair. "That's Micah."

"Great. It'd be awesome to talk to Derek."

"Sure." Taylor moved to the small window and hit the bell. After a moment, she came back with a paper application. She set it down in front of Trina and handed her a pen. "Just fill this out and I'll give it to Derek."

"Thanks." She filled the form out excitedly, grinning from ear to ear as a new sense of hope filled in her. Jason remained quiet, looking at her with a subtle smile. She was eager to work here if she could, or anywhere that was better than Subway.

Granted, she knew she still needed something in her career field and she'd been looking, but nothing was coming up.

Afterwards, she and Jason made their way to the car. "You sure you want to consider this place?" He asked. There was a protective look in his eyes and she gave him a subtle nod. "Don't think I disapprove, but I mean this is a pizza shop open and making deliveries until three in the morning…you'd be a driver?"

"Yeah." She placed a hand on his forearm, smiling tenderly as her eyes drifted up into his. "Don't worry, I'll give it some thought. I just need something that can produce more hours, better pay…you know. I'm sure I'll be safe."

"I'm sure you will too, I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know you don't." Trina laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, sighing contently as he started the car up and drove off. She knew the risks he was concerned about, and she had a few of the same concerns.

"I'll be in my car, Jason. I'll have a means of escape." It wasn't like Subway, where she was afraid of working alone at a restaurant that she could potentially be attacked by some lunatic while walking to her car. "As a driver, I'd be parking close to the doors and whatnot. What's the worst that could happen?"

"That's what I'm afraid of." He let out a heavy sigh and furrowed his brow. "I can't stop seeing him, that asshole. I keep thinking…what if I hadn't been there?"

"But you were there." She wrapped her arms around his waist and gently kissed the curve of his neck. "If it makes you feel any better, I won't take this job if you're that scared of something happening to me."

"I wouldn't ask you to turn it down." Jason shook his head and slid his hand through his hair. "I mean, if it gets you away from that infernal company. I can't stand them."

"I know you can't." He still blamed Subway for what happened to her, and of course she still had her own anger towards them. "It's over, it's in the past. I still don't feel safe there, sure, but that may change."

"Good. I hope it does. You deserve better."

* * *

What are your thoughts here?


	34. The Next Step

The Good, The Lazy, The Chaotic

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This is the final chapter. Sorry it took so long to get it out, but I had no idea how to bring about the ending until recently. Enjoy it, and thank you to all who read this

* * *

Chapter 34 (The Next Step)

Nothing was as it seemed anymore. Trina had finally made it, but the feeling was a tad lackluster and she was left feeling like something was missing. She was proud of where she was now, working with a security company that contracted people to certain locations.

The path there was an odd one. The bar had been a fantastic and wonderful place with amazing people, but it wasn't what she truly wanted despite how happy she'd been there. Outback didn't last long, but how happy could she be working for 2.13 an hour and only earning an average of thirty dollars on tips? It was peanuts!

Eventually someone led her to a full time job as a correctional officer at a halfway house for parolees. Most were sex offenders, but ironically that didn't make her feel nearly as uncomfortable as the loudmouthed, unprofessional and ill-mannered coworkers. To top it all off, it was a forty minute drive, and she worked from ten at night until six in the morning. This left her stressed and with no free time due to constantly sleeping.

Then on a whim she applied to a security company paying more than the then ten dollar an hour job which she hated. The security firm was a global one that had been nothing but good to her, though she was slightly bored with what she was doing at the time: sitting in a car watching the back gate of a large facility and checking people in.

"What's the problem with it?" Jason asked as she collapsed beside him next on the couch in their living room. She'd recently rented a place with him and was incredibly happy to be there. "You're making twelve an hour, and it's a good company." He draped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head against his neck.

"I know. It's just sitting out there in the heat all day."

"Look at the bright side. Isn't this only temporary?" She furrowed her brow and nodded gently. There was construction being done on the gatehouse at the front entrance, but once it was finished, the interior patrol guards wouldn't have to sit outside all day anymore.

"Yeah, by the end of the month they should be finished. That means more patrols inside the facility, and patrol won't have to go out to the gate except for people who don't have access." She closed her eyes and curled her legs underneath herself on the couch. "I guess I'm still trying to figure out what's next. For me, for us…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't want to be a security guard forever."

"I thought this company had a training site?" She nodded. There was ample opportunity to move up the ladder in the company. She hadn't wanted to touch that site, but then it would be the best way to go on up. "Courses in managerial opportunities, chances to be a trainer and whatnot. I think by chance, you landed in the perfect company."

"Yeah, that's true." Hell, she'd asked their operation's manager how long it took for him to get where he was; and his response was a good four years until payroll and seven to the position he now held. "And they've been perfect to me, getting me a site as quickly as possible and all. Loyal…I don't think I want to leave this one. I think I will move up the ladder in them."

"Good idea." He kissed her forehead and squeezed her gently. "As for us, I have no doubts." She raised her eyebrows and a shade of pink came over her. "I love you and I want to be with you. I'm at your side, and I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you too…" She kissed his lips tenderly and lowered her head to his chest. As she closed her eyes, she thought about the direction her life was going, and she had no fears or doubts. She was happy, and she had plans as well as goals. "One more thing Jason. You remember I started my master's course?"

"Yeah, you made a good grade in your first course, then paused because of that transitional center."

"Well you know Anders, our operation's manager, he said a master's isn't required to move up. I think, for now anyway, I'm not going to continue it. Not yet, I want to wait until the time is right. Do you think I'm wrong for that?" Jason shook his head, not bothering to hesitate for a moment.

"I think you are right for doing what you feel is best for yourself. I'll support whatever decision you make." Her heart swelled and she nodded slowly, overjoyed by his words. "I'm confident in you."

"Thank you. Thank you…"

Elsewhere, in a maximum security prison, a guard led Jade West to a room with a glass window in the center. There was a counter on both sides of the window and a faded red phone on the wall on each side.

Her breath grew still and calm as she studied the man on the other side, condemned to death. He looked much different now, his hair cut into a buzz and his body frail. His dark eyes burned through the glass, scorching her heart.

She sat before him, releasing her baited breath and raising a trembling hand towards the phone but to pause. Tears welled up in her eyes as she studied the empty and emotionless glare coming from the man on the other side.

"Why?" The word dripped from her tongue. A question she'd wanted to know for so long, but now it didn't seem to matter. He wasn't the same man she knew long ago, not the man she once loved. That man was long gone, he died with their relationship.

She hoped for the longest time that his execution would be botched and painful, but now she hardly cared. There was no anger left, there was no desire to see the man he used to be. She'd moved on, and she knew what was next in life for her.

Picking up the phone, she waited for the man to do the same. He said nothing, only stared back at her as though waiting for her to speak first. "I don't hate you," Jade said with a confident tone. "I thought I did, for the longest time I prayed you would meet a slow and painful death. I wanted to know why you did the things you had, I wanted to know if the person I once loved was still there; but now none of it matters."

He didn't reply, his face still blank and eyes devoid of emotion. "I cried for those girls' lives you destroyed. You sought to ruin everyone you ever touched, but you didn't. Trina's moved on, Tori's moved on, and so have I." He shrugged. She took a deep breath and calmly cleared her throat. "I found someone, someone who I love and makes me happy. I'm moving on with my life, and no longer going to allow myself to dwell on you."

She wasn't sure why she came, if nothing else to see if he would react in some way. Whatever it was she expected, it was clear to her she wasn't getting anything from him. "Goodbye Beck. I hope you never forget the lives you stole, and that when you meet your end, their faces are the last thing you see."

Jade hung up the phone and stood up, wiping away the tears in her eyes. The guard asked if she was finished and she nodded to him before pulling up her purse strap and looking one last time at Beck.

"I guess I wanted to see if anything was left, but there isn't." She turned away and left with the guard. "I'll be leaving LA. I'm going to travel the country, pursue some of my hobbies. Time to relax and enjoy life."

"Sounds like a good plan."

Tori moved a brush slowly down the coat of a dog, smiling as she looked over to see Ian trying to bathe a large golden retriever. He was drenched in water, his hair was stringy when wet. "I'm glad we started doing this," Tori said in a quiet voice.

They were trying to open up a kennel, and were beginning with some dog grooming. It was mostly going to be her business, but Ian was happy to help. It was incredibly calming and soothing for her.

The same was said for her father, who came in from time to time to socialize with the animals. "Glad you're happy," Ian replied. He shook his hands and gave off a light laugh as more water sprayed on him from the dog shaking itself.

"Whatever happens from here on out, I'm just happy to see something positive on the horizon." Things were looking up, and that was all that mattered. She was on great terms with her family now and she was much less irritable.

They all still had a long journey ahead of them and no one knew what would come in the future; but no matter what came next, they could all face the world together.

The future isn't set in stone, and not even the journey was the sole important thing. Life was what people made of it, and the people you meet are all a part of the same journey trying to find their path in the world. Some never find their way, others manage to scrape by; but it was important to realize that everyone is in this world together and it is crucial to remember that we all share it.

No matter the joys, the sorrows, the pleasantries or pain. Find your way in life, focus on those who matter and where you want to go; and once you learn to keep moving forward one day at a time, you can be happier.

The next step is never known, the future is never concrete, but it can be what you want it to be if you only try. Remember as you travel through life, the choice is yours to travel it alone or to travel with those who remain close; and never forget no matter their walks in life they too are only trying to figure out what will come next in life.

The journey in life never ends until the last breath of life we take, so make the most of every moment.

* * *

I hope you've enjoyed this story, slow updating as it was. It was a good tale to write.


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